FAUCONNET, Manager of the Consulate of France to Mr. Fauconnet, October 6, 1862
Mr. Bougére to Mr. Fauconnet.
Mr. Consul: The undersigned, Francois Bougére, a native of Angers, (Maine et Loire,) France, an inhabitant of Louisiana since 1819, has the honor to inform you that being on his plantation, in the parish of St. Charleston the 28th of August, 1862, a column of troops of the United States, commanded by Colonel Thomas and Captain Grant, of the 8th Vermont, took by force on his plantation seventy-two slaves of various ages and distinct sexes, proceeding from families bought by him a long while prior to 1848, besides horses, mules, carriages, linen, jewelry, and stores, the whole, according to a statement annexed, amounting to the sum of seventy thousand eight hundred dollars. Moreover, that, being deprived of his workshop, of seventy-two negroes, mules, &c., &c., it was impossible for him to gather his present crop of corn and about three hundred hogsheads of sugar and molasses which would have been produced, and he will lose by this fact eighteen thousand dollars.
The undersigned thinks it his duty also to inform you that he has taken numerous steps with the local authorities in order to obtain in a friendly manner the restoration of his slaves, horses, mules, &c., but that all his efforts have been fruitless. Having, therefore, no longer any hope of success with the authorities who govern this State, he proceeds, full of confidence, to solicit your intervention to the end that the facts above enumerated may be brought to the knowledge of the minister plenipotentiary of France at Washington, and even to that of the government of his Imperial Majesty, in order that, protected by them, his claim and his protest may be taken into consideration, and that justice may be done to a French subject who has never lost his nationality nor borne arms against the United States.
The losses suffered by the undersigned amount to more than eighty-eight thousand dollars, as is proved by the annexed list, and all the fruit of his labor and savings for nearly forty years.
Relying, Mr Consul, on the warm sympathy that you have always evinced for your countrymen, I beg you to accept in advance my sincere thanks for all which you may deem it your duty to do in my behalf, and the assurance of my profound respect.
FRANÇOIS BOUGÉRE.
The Consul of France at New Orleans.
A true copy:
Claim of Mr. Frangois Bougere, of the parish of St. Charles, Louisiana.
SLAVES.
Men:
| 1. | Trasimond, sugar maker, 30 years old | $2,000 |
| 2. | Kellec, cart driver, 20 years old | 1,500 |
| 3. | Eugene, field hand, 25 years old | 1,600 |
| 4. | Camise, engine man, 26 years old | 3,000 |
| 5. | Térence, field hand, 25 years old | 1,200 |
| 6. | Edouard, cooper, 20 years old | 2,000 |
| 7. | Antoine, field hand, 22 years old | 1,600 |
| 8. | Lanoute, field hand, 18 years old | 1,500 |
| 9. | Celestin, field hand, 17 years old | 1,200 |
| 10. | Simon, cart driver, 30 years old | 1,500 |
| 11. | Simonnette, field hand, 30 years old | 1,200 |
| 12. | Dominique, field hand, 19 years old | 1,200 |
| 13. | Felix, cart driver, 20 years old | 1,500 |
| 14. | Amédée, cart driver, 17 years old | 1,200 |
| 15. | Eugene Lamadon, cart driver, 30 years old | $1,200 |
| 16. | Patrick, coachman, 40 years old | 1,000 |
| 17. | Joe, blacksmith, 25 years old | 3,000 |
| 18. | André, creole, field hand, 60 years old | 800 |
| 19. | Julien, cooper, 58 years old | 1,200 |
| 20. | Adolphe Petit, stable boy, 17 years old | 1,000 |
| 21. | Charles, stable boy, 16 years old | 1,000 |
| 22. | Severin, stable boy, 15 years old | 900 |
| 32,300 |
Women:
| 1. | Rose, 24 years old | 1,000 |
| 2. | Nonne, 23 years old | 1,000 |
| 3. | Elizabeth, 32 years old | 1,000 |
| 4. | Joséphine, 31 years old | 1,000 |
| 5. | Aimée, 21 years old | 1,000 |
| 6. | Félicie, 21 years old | 1,000 |
| 7. | Laurenza, 19 years old | 1,000 |
| 8. | Solidaire, seamstress, 23 years old | 1,200 |
| 9. | Coralie, 40 years old | 800 |
| 10. | Zubette, 43 years old | 800 |
| 11. | Charlotte, 45 years old | 800 |
| 12. | Célestine, 16 years old | 1,000 |
| 13. | Suzanne, 45 years old | 800 |
| 14. | Céleste, 63 years old | 700 |
| 15. | Divine, 67 years old | 700 |
| 16. | Caroline, 35 years old | 700 |
| 17. | Méranthe, 40 years old | 600 |
| 18. | Henriette, 18 years old | 1,000 |
| 19. | Victorine, 16 years old | 1,000 |
| 20. | Angéle, 10 years old | 600 |
| 21. | Joséphine, 15 years old | 600 |
| 22. | Adéle, 16 years old | 600 |
| 23. | Henriette, mulatto, 18 years old | 700 |
| 24. | Elise, 16 years old | 600 |
| 25. | Liza, 17 years old | 700 |
| 26. | Marie, 13 years old | 600 |
| 27. | Suzanne, 17 years old | 700 |
| 28. | Elisabeth, 16 years old | 700 |
| 29. | Marguerite, 20 years old | 700 |
| 30. | Charlotte, 20 years old | 700 |
| 56,600 |
Children:
| 1. | Joseph, 9 years old | 600 |
| 2. | Aristide, 7 years old | 600 |
| 3. | Eugène, 9 years old | 500 |
| 4. | Michel, 10 years old | 600 |
| 5. | Albert, 5 years old | 500 |
| 6. | Victorine, 6 years old | 600 |
| 7. | Modeste, 6 years old | 600 |
| 8. | Justine, 6 years old | 600 |
| 9. | Félicie, 5 years old | 500 |
| 10. | Joseph, 6 years old | 600 |
| 11. | Désirée, 8 years old | 700 |
| 12. | Elisabeth, 3 years old | $300 |
| 13. | Frank, 7 years old | 700 |
| 14. | Gédéon, 4 years old | 400 |
| 15. | Térence, 16 months old | 200 |
| 16. | Justin, 1 year old | 100 |
| 17. | Estelle, 11 months old | 100 |
| 18. | Joséphine, 5 months old | 100 |
| 19. | Julien, 10 years old | 600 |
| 20. | Virgile, 1 month old. | 100 |
| 65,600 |
Miscellaneous:
| One horse for cabriolet, a trotter | 500 |
| Two common horses, at $200 | 400 |
| Nine mules, at $225 | 2,025 |
| One barouche | 300 |
| Three carriages, at $125 | 375 |
| Harness of mules | 100 |
| Provisions, wines, liquors, &c | 500 |
| Two boxes of shoes | 250 |
| Body and other linen | 250 |
| Gold watch, jewelry, gold spectacles, &c | 500 |
| 70,800 | |
| Loss of crop, estimated at | 18,000 |
| Grand total | 88,800 |
Eighty-eight thousand eight hundred dollars.
A true copy: