Manuscript Resources on Acadian History

1st United States Infantry Regiment of Louisiana Volunteer Corps d'Afrique, Company II. Muster roll, 1863. 1 item (21 x 30.5 in.). Location: VAULT:72. In April 1863 Brigadier General Daniel Ullman was sent by the U.S. War Department to New Orleans, Louisiana, to raise a brigade of African-American troops; Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, at Opelousas, proposed the formation of the Corps d'Afrique. Muster roll identifies Edward Carter as captain, Spencer H. Stafford as colonel, and the regiment's sergeants, corporals, musicians, a teamster, and privates. Soldiers are listed by their names, and further description includes rank, time and location of enrollment, time and location mustered into service, and pay roll information. Most soldiers enrolled and were mustered in at New Orleans, while others were at Baton Rouge, St. Mary Parish, Bayou Ramos, Fort Jackson, Fort St. Leon, and Thompson Creek. Verso of item also contains lists of deceased, discharged, deserted, and resigned soldiers in the regiment. Several soldiers are listed as being killed in action before Port Hudson. Muster roll covers the period from July 1 to August 31, 1863, while pay roll covers the period from June 30 to September 1, 1863. Mss. 5379.

Acadia Plantation records, 1809-2004 (bulk 1940-1979). 49 linear ft., 30 volumes, 8 rolls. Location: 93:7-30; J:4; 75:; MAP CAGE (UNNUMBERED CASE); 1 NORTH (ON TOP OF MICROFILM CABINET). A working sugar plantation, Acadia Plantation of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana is comprised of three major properties originally known as Acadia Plantation, St. Brigitte Plantation, and Evergreen Plantation. It was acquired in 1875 by Edward J. Gay, became the residence of Representative Andrew and Mrs. Anna Gay Price. Records are comprised of correspondence, financial and legal documents, printed items, volumes, maps, plats, and photographs. Papers document business and legal affairs of the plantation owners and operators, as well as plantation operations such as sugar cane farming, the crops of tenant farmers on the property, and the planning and development of the plantation lands throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Mss. 4906.

Acadian Handicraft Project. Records. 1936-1962. 9.5 linear ft. Location: 7:98-106, OS:A. Project launched in 1942 to preserve the language and culture of the French-speaking people of Louisiana; project was suspended around 1962. Project launched in 1942 to preserve the language and culture of the French-speaking people of Louisiana. Records consist of general office files, program files for festivals and exhibitions, and records relating to the promotion, the production and sale of handicrafts. Some itmes are in French. Mss. 1880.

Acosta, Juan. Papers, 1833-1876. 9 items. Location: MISC:A. Papers document land transactions in Assumption and Pointe Coupee parishes, consisting of an application to purchase land with Thomas Pinto; deeds for the sale of land to Antonio Dalferes, Thomas Lyon, and William C. Mylne; deed for the sale of land by Manuel Acosta and Thomas Fernandez to John H. Ilsley; lease of land by Nicholas Deemus to Andre Acosta; and itemized accounts of Andre Acosta. Some items in French. Mss. 552.

Arceneaux, William. Papers, 1964-2007 (bulk 1972-2007). 15 linear feet and 20 volumes. Locations: 4:36, 4:43, 110:4-11, OS:A, Vault:2. Louisiana higher education official. Papers consist of correspondence, business papers, photographs, printed items, and scrapbooks related to the professional, civic, and personal activities of William Arceneaux. A small amount of correspondence is in French and Spanish. For further information, see online catalog Mss. 4107.

Assumption Parish records, 1841-1920 (bulk 1841-1891). 84 items. Location: U:6, 98:. Miscellaneous legal papers stating the value of a sugar plantation and slaves, with a copy of a lease for a house, lot, and billiard table in Napoleonville, La. (1841); subpoenas in a legal suit concerning St. Elizabeth Church (1852); and a broadside titled "Synopsis of Steamboat Laws" (1867). A printed invitation to attend a meeting of the Republican Executive Committee in Donaldsonville (1887), a broadside of the regular Democratic ticket for delegates to the state nomination convention and Assumption Parish officials (1891), and issues of The Assumption Pioneer (January 23, February 13, 27, 1909) are included. Mss. 14.

Bertrand, Alvin Lee, 1918- interviewee. Oral history interview, 1995. 5 sound cassettes (7.5 hours), transcript (276 p.). Location: L:4700.0524. LSU alumnus and Boyd Professor of Sociology/Rural Sociology. Bertrand discusses growing up in rural Louisiana and the French language and Cajun culture. Bertrand also discusses loss of the small farm way of life, agricultural mores, and the impact of mechanization on rural life in Louisiana. Bertrand describes the general layout of the LSU campus in 1936, the creation of the LSU lakes, the LSU stadium, and student social activities. He comments on the many changes he witnessed while at LSU and details his long association with LSU and the Sociology Dept. He also discusses the development of rural sociology at LSU; his own involvement in international organizations; his work as an international rural sociologist; and his research and studies on health care needs. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 4700.0524.

Bertrand, Alvin Lee. Papers, 1942-1988. 1 linear ft. Location: 43:65. Author and professor of rural sociology at Louisiana State University. Includes copies, drafts, and typescripts of articles for publication; reports on rural industrialization, development, settlement, and social impact studies in Louisiana and the American South; and addresses and speeches given at sociology conferences in the United States and around the world. Mss. 4787

Bichot, Jean Baptiste. Petition, 1781 March 29. 1 item. Location: Misc:B. Bichot was an official of the area under the jurisdiction of the post of Pointe Coupee, in Louisiana. Item is a petition to Charles de Grand-Pré,, commandant of the post of Pointe Coupee, requesting permission to inform Madame de Rocheblave to pay her debt to Sieur du Doigt. A list of her debts is included. An endorsement by Grand-Pré, approves the action, and an addendum by Bichot records Rocheblave was informed to pay the debt. In French. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 4894.

Bourque, Owen. Collection on Betty Martin, 1907-2012 (bulk 1998-2010). 0.1 linear ft. Location: MISC:B. Research materials compiled by Owen Bourque on Betty Martin (the pen name used by Edwina Mary Meyer). In 1928, Martin was sent to United States Marine Hospital Number 66 (formerly the Louisiana Leper Home) in Carville, Louisiana after she was diagnosed with leprosy. Materials include chiefly photocopies and printouts of articles from magazines, newspapers, and online sources. Mss. 5367.

Breaux, John B. Papers, 1933, 1938, 1963, 1970-2004 (bulk: 1987-2004). Approx. 781 linear feet . Location: Room B6, Map Cage, Vault:54. Correspondence, briefing books, bills, reports, testimony transcripts, research files, news releases, printed materials, audio-visual and electronic files, photographs and memorabilia documenting the political and U.S. Congressional career of Louisiana Representative (1972-1986) and Senator (1987-2004) John B. Breaux, and the work of his office. In addition to Senate and House files, contains materials related to his campaigns, the Democratic Party, and the Washington Mardi Gras. Topics include, among others, flood control, abortion, transportation, energy, the environment, taxes, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and healthcare, consumer protection, wetlands conservation, base closures in Louisiana, commerce, trade, and agriculture policy, especially for sugar and rice. For additional information, see the online catalog. Mss. 4922.

Burnside Gun Club. Record book, 1894. 1 volume. Location: M:20. Record of members' scores of the Burnside, Louisiana, Gun Club from June to September 1894. Mss. 49.

Byrne, Joseph F. Moss gin photograph, circa 1890s. 1 photograph. Location: E:66. Copy print of a photograph of a moss gin owned by Joseph F. Byrne, Bayou Paul, Iberville Parish, La. Mss. 3202.

Clark, Gladys, b. 1918. Papers, circa 1890-2004 (bulk 1940-1997). 0.75 linear ft. Location: 128:. An accomplished spinner and weaver in the Acadian tradition, Clark received numerous awards during her career. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, and printed materials that document her artistic works and awards received, including a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1997. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 4953.

Coco family. Papers, circa 1885-2009 (bulk 1964-2008). 12 linear ft., 1 compact disc. Location: AA:, OS:C, X:4-13. Residents of Mansura, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. Materials include personal and professional correspondence, printed items, personal papers, recordings (available for access on compact disc), and photographic items. Personal correspondence pertains primarily to the lives of Merlin, Lucy, Greg, and Linda. Major topics include family life and local matters in Mansura, the education of Greg and Lucy, and Greg's enlistment in the U.S. Army and activities in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Professional correspondence documents mostly Greg's career as a park ranger in Gettysburg. Printed items, personal papers, and photographic items pertain chiefly to Coco family history and the lives of the aforementioned Coco family members. Recordings were created by Greg while in Vietnam and document his experiences there. Mss. 5019.

Coco, M. S. Business records, 1911-1961. 217 ms. vols. Location: 36:5-9. General merchandise store, Bordelonville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. Volumes contain daily cash entries in ledger form. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 2460.

Comeaux, Louis, 1911-, interviewee. Oral history interview, 1993. 1 sound cassette (45 minutes), Index (3 pages). Location: L:4700.0744. Retired sugarcane sharecropper and life-long resident of Four Corners, an unincorporated community south of Franklin, Louisiana. Recollections of Comeaux's childhood as the son of a cane farmer. He recalls his work in an Avery Island salt mine; farming as a sharecropper; the routine of sugarcane planting and harvest; cane syrup production; farm labor; and early transportation. Comeaux also recalls traditional Cajun foods including couche-couche and cracklins; the boucherie; and social conditions in Four Corners. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 4700.0744.

Day, Anita G., Digital Prints. 2000. Forty (40) 5 inches X 7 inches digital prints, matted to 11 inches X 14 inches. Location: 91:3. The collection consists of 40 digital prints of images created at the 1999 Festivals Acadiens, an annual cultural event that began in 1972. The Lafayette Jaycees, along with the help of Rubber Boots, Inc., organize the principal components of Festivals Acadiens, including four separate festivals: Festival de Musique Acadienne; La Vie Cadienne Wetlands Folklife Festival; Heritage Pavilion, and; Bayou Food Festival. These festivals are held in Girard Park in Lafayette, Louisiana. The 1999 festival, during which these images were created, was held from Friday, September 17, through Sunday, September 19. These prints were part of the exhibition, "Preservation as Public Spectacle: Festivals Acadiens," displayed in Hill Memorial Library in 2000. Mss. 4993.

de Caro Francis A. and Rosan A. Jordan. Collection. 1956-2009, undated (bulk 1966-2003). 13 linear ft. Location: 11:19, 15:15-21. De Caro and Jordan were folklorists, authors, and Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.) professors. The collection includes personal and professional correspondence, writings, exhibitions, photographs, printed items consisting of brochures, handbills, newspapers, and posters; and topical files that document de Caro's folklore class at LSU, his work with the Louisiana Folklife Commission, and Jordan's work with the women's movement. Writings as well as exhibitions comprise material primarily related to folklore within Louisiana and British colonial life in India. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 3197, 4089, 4164.

Delcroix, Eugene A. Photographic prints, circa 1930-1950. 8 items. Locations: MISC:D, OS:D. Professional photographer of New Orleans, Louisiana. Eight photographic prints depict Louisiana oak trees, Oak Alley Plantation, Grand Isle, and a New Orleans courtyard and patio. Mss. 5356.

Dietz, Walter F. Papers, 1901-1962. 470 items, 86 volumes. Socialist party member of the Lake Charles, Louisiana, local (1903-1934); state secretary (1909-1914); national committeeman and state secretary (1928-1931). Correspondence, broadsides, financial reports, pamphlets, writings, newspaper clippings, bound printed volumes, and manuscript volumes for the national Socialist Party, the state organization, and the Lake Charles local organization. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 1894.

Dupré, Laurent. Affidavit, 1780. 1 item. Location: Misc:D. Affidavit by Derbonne regarding gambling by Jean Poiret and Pierre Decou at the home of a man named Nicolet. The affidavit was witnessed by several citizens and certified by Charles DeClouet. An annotation by Charles de Grand-Pre commandant of the Pointe Coupee District, and dated January 2, 1781, dismisses the case because it was not proved within the time required by statute. In French. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 4895.

Ericson, Jean M., b. 1915. Photograph collection, circa 1890-1920. 22 copy prints. Location: 65:5. These photographs document rural and farm settings in south Louisiana and some Acadian French subjects. Mss. 3706.

Fitch, Henry B. (Henry Bates). Hermitage Plantation pay and muster roll, June 1864. 1 item. Location: OS:F. Pay and muster roll for contraband slaves working on Hermitage Plantation. The pay and muster roll lists 118 named slaves and records the hours they worked, their monthly pay, the amount paid, amount due, etc. These freedmen are listed with their adopted surnames. Plantation was operated by Henry B. Fitch. Mss. 4881. 

Fremaux and LeBlanc Photographs, 1915. 2 photographic prints. Location: OS:F. Dealers in agricultural equipment and implements of Rayne, Louisiana. Photographic prints show men posing outside with binders. "Part of Fremaux and LeBlanc's 1915 binder sales" is inscribed at the bottom of each photograph. Mss. 5363.

Friends of Gillis Long. Records, circa 1966-1977 (bulk 1976-1977). 0.2 linear ft. Location: T:14. Records pertain to a fundraiser barbecue held by the Friends of Gillis Long on November 5, 1977 at the Port Allen Community Center. The fundraiser was held in preparation of U.S. Representative Gillis Long's 1978 re-election campaign for the Eighth Congressional District of Louisiana. Records consist of a binder (unbound) containing copies of correspondence to and from Gillis Long, staff lists, contributor and supporter lists, and fundraiser planning documents. Items of note include invitation letters from Gillis to Blanche Long, Katherine H. Long, Jimmie Davis, Mary Evelyn Parker, T. Harry Williams, Edwin Edwards, John J. McKeithen, and Speedy O. Long (filed in Special Letters section of binder). Mss. 5389.

Gardner, Joel. Papers, 1978-2021 (bulk 1980-1985). 3.5 linear ft. Location: G:86-87. Joel Gardner is a journalist and oral historian from Louisiana. Contains assorted oral histories, grant proposals, workshop materials, recordings from participants, entertainment articles written by Gardner for lifestyle magazines, assorted scholarly articles written on oral histories, and theory-related materials. Mss. 3954, 3562.

Gautreau, Henry W. Papers, 1865-2013 (bulk 1970-1990). .5 linear ft. Location: T:81. Native of Gonzales, Louisiana and ordained priest for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Papers include chiefly correspondence and printed materials related to Gautreau's involvement in the IT Corporation controversy and lawsuit in Ascension Parish and Gautreau's research on the Houma Indians. There are also printed items pertaining to Houmas House Plantation and the Houmas Central Sugar Factory. Mss. 5340.

Gay-Butler-Plater family. Papers, 1814-2016. 30.5 linear ft., 25 volumes. Location: G:43-85, OS:G, Q:1-6. Planters of Iberville, Lafourche, and Terrebonne parishes, Louisiana. Correspondence, financial records, legal records, photographic materials, and personal papers created and accumulated by the Gay, Butler, Plater, and Price families of Louisiana documenting their political, social, and financial affairs. Mss. 4872.

Haas, Samuel. Record books, 1881-1915. 11 volumes. Location: F:19, P:22, MSS.MF:H. Ten ledgers record orders for the sale of merchandise, the marketing and shipment of goods, the sale and purchasing of land, police jury per diems, and philanthropic donations. One letterpress copybook contains letters addressed to business associates and friends in Rapides, St. Landry, and Orleans parishes. Contains a few personal letters but primarily discusses merchandise, shipments, accounts with debtors and creditors, police jury matters, and land exchange. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 3400.

Hamilton, William S. Papers, 1780-1930 (bulk 1807-1861). 3 linear ft., 14 manuscript volumes, 16 microfilm reels. Locations: T:81-87, H:21, OS:H, MSS.MF:H. United States Army officer under General Wade Hampton; slave owner and planter of Holly Grove Plantation, West Feliciana Parish; and politician who served on the first board of trustees for the College of Louisiana and a term in the Louisiana Legislature. While most papers pertain to William S. Hamilton's social, political, and professional life, some papers also pertain to John Hamilton (William S.'s father) and the children of William S. and Eliza C. Hamilton. Papers reflect the administration of United States Army troops in the Territory of Orleans and Mississippi and give an inclusive picture of national and Louisiana politics. Included are descriptions of Southern college facilities and curricula and early medical treatments in hydropathy (hydrotherapy). The papers also document conditions in the United States Army during the Mexican War, land speculation in Texas, and various aspects of plantation life and economy (including purchasing and treatment of slaves). Part of the George M. Lester Collection. Mss. 1209.

Honore Daigre and Adelaide Hebert sale, 1856, November 17. 1 item. Location: Misc:H. Honore Daigre and Adelaide Hebert were residents of Iberville Parish, Louisiana. A true copy of sale and adjudication of the sale of the plantation, land, and slaves of Honore Daigre and Adelaide Hebert, Iberville Parish. Includes a listing of their slaves' ages, sex, and family relationships, as well as a description of land and moveable property. In English and French. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 4888.

Hunter, Edwin. Papers, 1956-2001 (bulk 1970-1980). 2.3 linear ft. Location: T:123-125, OS:H. Practiced law at Smith, Hunter, Risinger and Shuey in Shreveport, Louisiana. from 1940 to 1953; was U.S. Judge originally under President Eisenhower from 1954 to 1993; was Chief Judge, Western District of Louisiana from 1970 to 1976; and presided over federal appellate courts in New York, Texas, Georgia and South Carolina. Papers chronicle a portion of the legal career of Judge Edwin Ford Hunter, Jr. The first half of the collection contains files that include trial calendars for cases presented before Judge Hunter and copies of legal papers with related correspondence. The correspondence addresses issues discussed in the surrounding legal papers, with the principal parties of the correspondence being attorneys and the judge. The topics of the cases mentioned are general in nature and reflect the typical cases assigned to Judge Hunter. The second half of the collection contains information regarding the integration and desegregation of the public schools in Louisiana, specifically Bossier, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, and Rapides parishes. Topics broadly cover the school boards and racial issues for the above mentioned parishes, as well as papers for the Bi-Racial Committee of Calcasieu Parish. Items include copies of correspondence among the school boards, attorneys, and Judge Hunter; statistics of the percentage of African American students in schools; legal documents, such as orders, motions, and briefs; and newspaper clippings. Items for the Bi-Racial Committee include correspondence, membership lists, and meeting minutes. Mss. 4918.

Iberville Parish (La.) Parish Court. Probate sale, 1837 February 14. 1 item. Location: Misc:P. A broadside for a probate sale to take place March 1837 in the Parish of Iberville (Louisiana) for the estate of Robert Loyd. The items to be auctioned include the undivided half of a plantation, livestock, and slaves. Slaves are listed by name and their age. The item is signed by John Dutton, Parish Judge. In English and French. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 4892.

King, Grace Elizabeth. Selected papers, 1864, 1883-1933. 1 linear ft., 2 microfilm reels. Location: UU:31, MSS.MF:K, Vault:1. New Orleans writer and historian. Business and personal correspondence pertaining to Grace King's literary career, European travels, and social and family life; includes some family correspondence, principally of her sister, Annie R. King. Papers also include a copy of an order issued by Richard Taylor concerning the Battle of Mansfield (1864), a program for the memorial service for Jefferson Davis held in New Orleans (1903), and manuscript notes concerning the United States Army occupation of New Orleans (undated). Correspondence from Baron Edouard de Pontabla, Charles Wagner, Henry Vignaud, and Flora O'Gorencees discuss World War I. Partly in French. For further information, see online catalog. Part of the Grace King Collection. Mss. 1282.

La Houssaye, Sidonie de. Papers, circa 1880-1894. 22 volumes, 6 microfilm reels. Location: F:17, MSS.MF:L. French Louisiana author of Franklin, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. Manuscript drafts of short stories (in French) written by Madame Sidonie de la Houssaye : Volumes 1 and 2: L'etoile d'argent. Volume 2: Le fort de Keronec; Une paire de gants; Une poupee d'autrefois; Les fleurs et les bijoux de la grand'mere; Rose Blanche; Les petits vagabonds; Volume 3 Mythologies des petits enfants; Volume 4: George Gerard.For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 105.

Lafayette, Marquis de. Pointe Coupee Parish land records, 1805-1847. 118 items. Location: 102:. French reformer and participant in the American Revolution. Correspondence, legal files, and survey documents pertaining to land along the Mississippi River in Pointe Coupee Parish granted by the United States to the Marquis de Lafayette. Most items are in English, but a few are in French and Spanish. Mss. 1521.

Landreth, John. Field notes book, 1819. 1 volume. Location: M:19. Surveyor. Volume contains Landreth's field notes (January-April 1819), created during his survey expedition for live oak and red cedar timber lands in Louisiana, for a commission from the United States Navy. Daily field notes include notations of directions and distances traveled, landmarks sighted, and short narrative descriptions of daily events and people met. Locations described include Franklin, St. Martinville, New Orleans, and a variety of bayous, lakes, and waterways. Mss. 5386.

Landry family. Papers, 1831-1903, undated. 0.5 linear ft. Location: U:198, G:15, OS:L. Residents of Paincourtville, Assumption Parish, Louisiana. The majority of letters are personal and are written by various members of the family, including some relatives from Quebec. The later correspondence has a good percentage of business letters. The documents include bills, receipts, and sugar sales. Some in French. Available (with some omissions) on microfilm 5322: University Publications of America Records of Ante-bellum Southern Plantations Series I, Part 1, Reel 8. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 731.

Lewis, William Young. Slave indentures, 1831. 7 items. Location: MISC:L. Notarized copies of indentures for Alabama, Louisiana, and Missouri slaves bound for Texas, notarized by William Young Lewis of New Orleans, Louisiana. These were the slaves of the following slaveholders: John James Dillard of Tuscumbia, Alabama; Isaac Turner Tinsley of Pikesville, Alabama; James Routh of Concordia Parish, Louisiana; Patrick Herndon of New Orleans; Gowan Harris of Iberville Parish, Louisiana; Edwin Waller of Palmyra, Missouri; and Samspon Blossman of New Orleans. Indentures give the name, age, and family relationships of the slaves. Mss. 4762.