Strange True Stories of Louisiana Read online

  STRANGE TRUE STORIES OF LOUISIANA

  BY GEORGE W. CABLE

  AUTHOR OF "THE GRANDISSIMES," "BONAVENTURE," ETC.

  ILLUSTRATED

  1890

  "TONTON."(From a portrait now in the possession of Mme. Veuve Alcibiade DeBlanc.)]

  TO MY FRIEND JAMES BIRNEY GUTHRIE

  CONTENTS

  PAGE HOW I GOT THEM 1 THE YOUNG AUNT WITH WHITE HAIR 23 THE ADVENTURES OF FRANCOISE AND SUZANNE. I. The Two Sisters 34 II. Making Up The Expedition 37 III. The Embarkation 43 IV. Alix Carpentier 51 V. Down Bayou Plaquemine.--the Fight With Wild Nature 55 VI. The Twice-married Countess 61 VII. Odd Partners In The Bolero Dance 65 VIII. A Bad Storm In A Bad Place 69 IX. Maggie And The Robbers 73 X. Alix Puts Away The Past 80 XI. Alix Plays Fairy.--parting Tears. 84 XII. Little Paris 90 XIII. The Countess Madelaine 94 XIV. "Poor Little Alix!" 99 XV. The Discovery Of The Hat 104 XVI. The Ball 108 XVII. Picnic And Farewell 116

  ALIX DE MORAINVILLE 121

  SALOME MUELLER, THE WHITE SLAVE. I. Salome and her Kindred 145 II. Six Months at Anchor 148 III. Famine at Sea 150 IV. Sold into Bondage 155 V. The Lost Orphans 159 VI. Christian Roselius 162 VII. Miller Versus Belmonti 163 VIII. The Trial 169 IX. The Evidence 173 X. The Crowning Proof 178 XI. Judgment 180 XII. Before the Supreme Court 185

  THE "HAUNTED HOUSE" IN ROYAL STREET. I. As It Stands Now 192 II. Madame Lalaurie 200 III. A Terrible Revelation 204 IV. The Lady's Flight 212 V. A New Use 219 VI. Evictions 223

  ATTALIE BROUILLARD. I. Furnished Rooms 233 II. John Bull 236 III. Ducour's Meditations 239 IV. Proxy 243 V. The Nuncupative Will 248 VI. Men can be Better than their Laws 257

  WAR DIARY OF A UNION WOMAN IN THE SOUTH 261 I. Secession 262 II. The Volunteers.--Fort Sumter 266 III. Tribulation 269 IV. A Beleaguered City 274 V. Married 279 VI. How it was in Arkansas 281 VII. The Fight for Food and Clothing 285 VIII. Drowned out and starved out 289 IX. Homeless and Shelterless 296 X. Frights and Perils in Steele's Bayou 302 XI. Wild Times in Mississippi 308 XII. Vicksburg 320 XIII. Preparations for the Siege 326 XIV. The Siege itself 334 XV. Gibraltar falls 343

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

  From photographs of the originals, in possession of Mr. George W. Cable.

  "Tonton" FrontispieceSome of the Manuscripts 1Part of Francois's First Page 34Part of First Page, "Alix Manuscript" 121The Court Papers 168The Entrance of the "Haunted House" 194Printed on Wall Paper in the Siege of Vicksburg 339Fac-simile of a Letter from Adj.-Gen. Thomas L. Snead 349

  SOME OF THE MANUSCRIPTSCourt papers in Miller vs. Belmonti. Letter from Suzanne. The "Alix MS."Louisa Cheval's letter. Francois's Pages. The War Diary (underneath).]

  STRANGE TRUE STORIES OF LOUISIANA.