Armand Allard Duplantier to Eduvige Allard Duplantier, 1804 June 21 - Armand Allard Duplantier to Eduvige Allard Duplantier, 1804 June 21

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Title
Armand Allard Duplantier to Eduvige Allard Duplantier, 1804 June 21
Contributing Repository
Biographical Note (Author)
Born in Voiron, France, on June 28, 1753, to Joseph Guy Allard du Plantier (1721-1801) and Jeanne Gabrielle Trénonay Allard du Plantier (ca. 1724-1797), Armand Gabriel Allard Duplantier ('Armand, Sr.') came to the Americas in 1778, attached to the Foix Regiment sent to support the American Revolution. He served as an aide-de-camp to General Lafayette. Mustered out of the service in 1780, he attempted to find a commission in the American forces under George Washington but was refused. At the invitation of his uncle Jean-Claude Trénonay, Armand traveled to Louisiana. He first intended to make the trip by sea, but was turned back by the events surrounding the siege of Charleston. He then made the voyage overland, starting in Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh) and descending the Ohio River. His first expedition down the Ohio turned back under threat of capture by the Shawnee, allies of the British. The second attempt reached Vincennes safely, and from there, Armand gained the Mississippi River, arriving in Pointe Coupee Parish in March 1781. Armand married Augustine Gérard, his uncle's stepdaughter, in July 1781. She bore him seven children, only four of whom survived: Fergus Augustin Duplantier (1783-1844), Armand Allard Duplantier (1785-1862), Guy Allard Duplantier (1791-1835), and Augustine Eulalie Duplantier (1799-1864), wife of Louis Favrot (1788-1876). Augustine Gérard Duplantier died in 1799 during an outbreak of yellow fever, shortly after giving birth to their surviving daughter. Three years later, in 1802, Armand married Constance Rochon (d. 1840), widow of John Joyce (d. 1798), and through her gained possession of Magnolia Mound Plantation in Baton Rouge. Constance bore him five more children: Euphémie Amelia Duplantier (1804-1826), wife of Anthony F. Peniston, Sr. (1796-1826), Augustin Duplantier (1805-1860), Didier Duplantier (1806-1835), Alberic Nicholas Duplantier (1808-1891), and Alfred Joseph Duplantier (1813-1892). Beginning with the death of his uncle Jean-Claude Trénonay in 1792 and the complications in settling the estate, Armand was involved in continual legal and financial difficulties for the remainder of his life. He dabbled in land speculation to augment the income from his plantation, but none of his schemes appears to have been successful. In addition, the United States government refused to recognize Spanish land grants in Louisiana, making it impossible for Armand to sell what land he owned before the Louisiana Purchase. With his debts mounting, his wife petitioned the courts for a separation of property in 1814. When Armand died in 1827, he was deeply in debt. His funeral procession included an honor guard from the local garrison in Baton Rouge, in recognition of his service in the American Revolution. Armand is buried in Highland Cemetery in Baton Rouge.
Date Created
1804-06-21
Description
Armand Allard Duplantier addresses his sister, Eduvige Allard Duplantier, at Le Plantier in Voiron, France. He states his hopes that Poignand [Poignaud?] will bring a portrait of the Duplantiers' father when he returns to Louisiana, as the man is to accompany the writer's oldest son, Fergus, to Le Plantier before continuing to Grenoble. The addresser expresses his feelings over finally sending his oldest son to France and hopes that Dupuy will be able to instruct him. Duplantier refers to his first daughter's stepmother and black nanny as 'her white mother and her black mother,' and he announces that he has a second daughter as well. He indicates that he is expecting another child (which he believes will be a girl) and that his brother ('Allard') has two sons. He extends his best to Mme. Faure.
Transcriptions/Translations Note
The transcriptions and translations remain true to the nonstandard grammar, punctuation, and spelling of the original documents, with only minimal corrections made in isolated instances for the sake of clarity.
Type of Resource
text
Digital Collection
Armand Duplantier Family Letters, LSU Libraries
Physical Location
LSU Libraries
Hill Memorial Library: Special Collections
Contact Information
Please submit an LSU Special Collections reference ticket at https://askus.lib.lsu.edu/special for any questions or comments about this digital object.
Rights
Physical rights are retained by the LSU Libraries. In accordance with U. S. copyright laws, this work is in the public domain.
Cite As
Armand Duplantier Family Letters, Mss. 5060, Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge, La.
Donor Information
The Armand Duplantier Family Letters were given by the descendants of Guy Antoine Allard Duplantier, elder brother of Armand Duplantier, to their Louisiana cousins, and subsequently donated to the LSU Libraries.
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