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one of the American-bound vessels which brought
the French emigrants from Havre de Grace. On their arrival at
Alexandria he was sold to a hotel proprietor for one year, to pay
his passage, at the end of which time he came to Gallipolis.
He remained here until the distribution of lands at the French
grant, when he accepted his portion about one mile below Haverhill,
where he continued to reside, accumulating a large amount of
property. He was a shrewd man of enterprise, and died August
8th, 1826, in the sixty-fivers year of his age.
MONS.
JEAN BAPTISTE BERTRAND was a fine Latin and French scholar,
and came with the emigrants to Gallipolis, in 1791. He was
occupied for some time as a miller and in a mill near the village.
One day, while absent, he procured a substitute, who, while occupied
in the mill, was killed and scalped by a hostile band of Indians.
He obtained a tract in the grant, and by his genial disposition
became very popular. He died at his residence in French Grant,
March 21st, 1855, aged 94 years, the last man to survive of the
original French of Southern Ohio.
RENE CAREL
was born in Paris, France, and came to Gallipolis in the spring of
1803, accompanied by his wife and two children, Franklin and
Virgil. On the way from Pittsburgh to Gallipolis, by
river, he stopped to visit Blennerhassett at his island, and he was
in after years fond of mentioning the cordial courtesy with which he
was received; the elegance, amounting to grandeur, of the
palatial residence of Blennerhassett, its rich furniture and art
embellishments, and the beauty of the grounds, the more remarkable
from the fact that this section then was an almost unbroken
wilderness. Mr. Carel immediately engaged in business
pursuits after his arrival, establishing what was probably the first
salt works in the State, the salt works being located just below
Chicamauga creek, and the ground upon which it was situated is now
within the corporate limits of the city. He lived a respected
citizen, and died Mar. 27th, 1843.
COLONEL LUTHER SHEPARD
was born in Hampshire county, Massachusetts, July 31st, 1777.
He came with his father's family to Marietta, in 1790, and, in
company with his brother Calvin (who is mentioned herein in
connection with the history of the Methodist Episcopal church),
arrived at Gallipolis shortly after the year 1800. In 1809, he
married Margaret, a daughter of John Entsminger (whose
name will be found in the extract published of the early records of
the township, among its list of original officers, in 1802, and who
came to Gallia county, from Virginia, in 1795.)
Colonel Shepard served as captain of a company
in the war of 1812, during a portion of which service he was post
commandant of Chillicothe, whither he was accompanied by his wife.
He had under his charge at that point a large number of British
prisoners, among whom was an artist of considerable repute, who,
while there, painted finely executed portraits of himself and wife,
on wood, which are now in the possession of one of his descendants,
and highly prized, not only as interesting relics, but as valuable
works of art. As a matter of interest, in this connection, a
copy will be given of an old document which is found among the
papers of Colonel Shepard, and now in the possession of one
of his descendants. In contrasting the appearance of it with
military papers of like import of the present day, one is impressed
with the lack of modern red-tape and its business-like language:
CHILLICOTHE, April 4th, 1814.
Sir: On receipt of this you will take
charge of Camp Scioto, in which the British prisoners are confined.
You will put all the prisoners in close confinement who have been
concerned in the mutinous conduct to-day, in rejecting their
provisions after they were passed as good by their own
non-commissioned officers. You will keep them under guard for
twenty-four hours, without suffering them to cook or eat. You
will order out the one-half of your effective force on guard, this
day and to-morrow, and have the guard well supplied with ammunition.
If any of the prisoners become refractory, or insolent, you will
order them to be tied.
Yours, with respect,
JOHN MILLER
Colonel of 19th Regiment, Infantry
CAPTAIN SHEPARD,
Commanding Ohio Militia
Colonel Shepard,
after the war, continued to reside at Gallipolis, an honored
citizen, leading an active business life until his death, which
occurred in 1852. Four of his children are yet living,
viz.: Mrs. Alexander Vance, Mrs. Margaret Aleshire,
Miss Julia Shepard and Edward T. Shepard.
GENERAL LEWIS NEWSOM
was born in New London, Campbell county, Virginia, in October, 1785.
He came to Gallipolis in April, 1807, where he continued to reside,
a man of education and refinement, and one whose good qualities
endeared him to those with whom he came in contact. The author
of this history is greatly indebted to him for many facts obtained
from his published sketches of the lives of early settlers.
His name will be found in connection with the history of many
offices and institutions of the city and county. He was much
interested in the success of the Gallia Academy, as will be found by
reference to its history in the following pages.
He married a daughter of C. R. Menager, who was
born in 1792, among the first children born in Gallipolis. Her
mother, Mrs. Menager, outlived all but three of the original
French settlers. Mr. Newsom has met Thomas Jefferson
and James Madison and had the good fortune to listen to some
of the celebrated speeches of the eloquent Patrick Henry.
He died March 17th, 1872. His wife died in 1868.
JUNIUS l. NEWSOM - a son of General Newsom,
was born in Gallipolis in 1810, and has always resided in Gallia
county, and is now a resident of the city, where he is well known
and universally respected.
CHARLES CREUZET
was born in the city of Lyons, France, May 15th, 1793, and came to
this country in 1803, at ten years of age, landing in New York.
In the same ship and of the same party, came Genevieve Pistor,
who afterward became his wife. From 1803 to 1817 he lived in
New York and Baltimore, and made several trips to the West Indies,
where his mother was then living. He volunteered and served in
the defence of Baltimore, when that city was threatened by the
British during the war of 1812. In 1817 he was married in New
York city, and at once started for the West, accompanied by his wife
and her mother and family. Of the latter was the sister of
Mrs. Creuzet, Mrs. Margaret Menager, who is still an honored
resident of Gallipolis - the last one of those who crossed the ocean
together and sought a home here. At Pittsburgh he
embarked in a flatboat, and landing at Gallipolis, was induced to
remain.
Here he lived all his life, and from 1825 in the same
house. He engaged in mercantile pursuits, in which he
prospered. Later he became interested in manufacturing, and by
careful and skillful management built up a large business, retiring
from active life in 1863. He was enterprising and liberal,
sympathetic and kind to the unfortunate, and rich in all those
qualities which are the elements of complete manhood.
It was probably not until after his death that the
great charity and unostentatious benevolence of the man was fully
appreciated. He was never known to bestow anything for the
sake of personal aggrandizement, or for gaining popularity.
His favors were granted in a manner such that the recipients knew
not whence they came, until by after investigation conclusive
evidence was, without his knowledge, grained of their source.
A score or more of men in this vicinity who are now enjoying the
comforts of an ample fortune, testify to the fact that they owe it
all to the unexampled and disinterested kindness of Mr. Creuzet,
who was a friend in time of need.
It is sufficient to say of his wife, that, in all those
noble benevolent attributes for which he was distinguished she was
fully his equal. Mr. Creuzet died at Gallipolis, on
Saturday evening, July 31st, 1880, aged 87 years. His wife
died February 17th, aged 77 years.
OTHER PROMINENT GALLIPOLISIANS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Of the many others who have
been closely identified with the interests of the city, a few will
be here mentioned, and the attention of the reader is called to the
personal histories of Gallia township families in the following
pages.
HON SIMEON NASH
was born at South Hadley, Massachusetts, Sept. 21st, 1804.
His father was a millwright, and his mother a woman of more than
ordinary mind and strength of character. He received his early
education at the district school, near his home, and early developed
an eagerness and thirst for knowledge, in which he was greatly
encouraged by his mother. He spared no efforts nor wasted time
in improving his mind, digesting and placing on paper whatever
impressed him as being of value, which plan he pursued through life.
The good results of this method became apparent in after life,
during his career as a lawyer. It enabled him to become widely
known as a ready and effective speaker, always prepared when called
upon, to talk intelligently and impressively upon any subject of
public interest, his extemporaneous speeches containing all the
elements of one that might have been carefully written and the
subject of long and intense study.
At the age of seventeen years he went to Hopkins'
Academy, in Old Hadley, where he remained six months, beginning his
preparation for college. In 1825 he entered Amherst college,
and not having the means to meet all expenses, he taught school
during the winters while there. After graduating, in 1829, he
returned to South Hadley, where he remained for two years, studying
law with the late Edward Hooker, and teaching a school for
boys. Having finished his law course, he accepted an
invitation from the late Honorable S. F. Vinton, a native of
South Hadley, and came to Gallipolis, by stage, January 9th, 1832,
where he continued to reside the balance of his life.
It is necessary to reside one year in Ohio before he could be
admitted to the bar, and this time he passed with Mr. Vinton,
who proved a wise friend and counselor. He was admitted to
practice in 1833. For a time business was dull, but it
steadily progressed, as he became better known, until he attained an
extensive and lucrative practice.
He served as State Senator in the 38th, 39th, 40th and
41st General Assemblies - 1839 to 1842; nearly two years he was upon
the State Investigation Commission; a member of the State
Constitutional Convention of 1851, and for ten years occupied the
bench as judge of the common pleas court, where he presided with
ability and becoming dignity, commanding the respect which the
position required, in the disposition of many vexed questions his
decisions were generally acquiesced in.
See Page XI
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