The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Louisiana - Wikisource, the free online library (2024)

LOUISIANA, one of the gulf states of theAmerican Union, and the fifth admitted underthe federal constitution, situated between lat.28° 59' and 33° N., and lon. 88° 40' and 94° 10'W.; extreme length E. and W. about 300 m.,extreme width N. and S. 240; area, 41,346sq. m. It is bounded N. by Arkansas (on theparallel of 33°) and Mississippi (on the parallelof 31°); E. by the gulf of Mexico andMississippi, from which above lat. 31° it isseparated by the Mississippi river, and belowthat parallel by Pearl river; S. by the gulf ofMexico; and W. by Texas, from which throughthe southern two thirds of the line it isseparated by the Sabine river and lake.

Louisianais divided into 57 parishes (corresponding tothe counties of other states), viz.: Ascension,Assumption, Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo,Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Carroll,Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, EastBaton Rouge, East Feliciana, Franklin, Grant,Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette,Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison,Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita,Plaquemines, Pointe Coupée, Rapides, Red River,Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St.Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St.Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany,Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union,Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, WestBaton Rouge, West Feliciana, Winn. There areseven incorporated cities, viz.: New Orleans(pop. in 1870, 191,418), the capital andcommercial centre of the state, on the Mississippi,about 100 m. from the sea; Baton Rouge(pop. 6,498), the former capital, on the E. bank,129 m. above New Orleans; Shreveport (pop.4,607), on the Red river, in the N. W. part ofthe state; Carrollton and Kenner, near NewOrleans; Monroe, on the Wash*ta, in the N.part of the state; and Natchitoches, on the Redriver, below Shreveport. Abbeville, Alexandria,Bastrop, Brashear City, Clinton, Covington,Delhi, Donaldsonville, Franklin, Houma,Jackson, Mandeville, Mansfield, Minden, NewIberia, Opelousas, Plaquemines, St. Martinsville,Thibodeaux, Vermilionville, andWashington are towns having each more than 500inhabitants.—The population of the state in1810 and at subsequent decennial periods wasas follows:

Included in the last total are 71 Chinese and569 Indians. In aggregate populationLouisiana ranks 21st among the states, the gainsince 1860 being 2.67 per cent.; in whitepopulation, 27th, gain 1.29 per cent.; in coloredpopulation, 7th, gain 3.95 per cent. Of thetotal population in 1870, 665,088 were nativeand 61,827 foreign born; 362,165 were malesand 364,750 females. Of the natives, 501,864were born in the state, 31,628 in Mississippi,30,033 in Virginia and West Virginia, 20,446in Alabama, 15,969 in Georgia, 10,838 in SouthCarolina, 8,320 in Kentucky, 7,283 in NorthCarolina, 6,864 in Tennessee, 6,486 inMaryland, 4,709 in Texas, 3,913 in New York, 3,747in Arkansas, 2,925 in Missouri, 1,698 inPennsylvania, 1,499 in Ohio, and 1,497 in Florida.Of persons born in the state, 63,133 were livingin other states and territories. Of the foreigners,18,933 were born in Germany, 17,068 inIreland, 12,341 in France, 2,811 in England, 1,889in Italy, 1,772 in Cuba and other West Indiaislands, and 1,130 in Spain. Of the colored,307,610 were blacks and 56,600 mulattoes.There were 159,007 citizens of the UnitedStates 21 years old and upward. The numberof families was 158,099, with an average of 4.6persons to each; of dwellings, 150,427, withan average of 4.83 persons to each. Therewere 257,184 persons 10 years old and overunable to read; 276,158 were unable to write,of whom 268,773 were natives and 7,385foreigners, 23,888 white males and 26,861 whitefemales, 109,463 colored males and 115,530colored females; 46,878 were between 10 and15 years of age, 45,227 between 15 and 21,and 183,637 were 21 years old and over. Ofthe last number, 12,048 were white males and76,612 colored males. There were 447 blindpersons, 197 deaf and dumb, 451 insane, and286 idiotic. The number of persons convictedof crimes during the year was 1,559; numberof paupers supported, 590. There were256,452 persons 10 years old and over (198,168males and 58,284 females) returned asengaged in occupations, of whom 141,467 wereemployed in agriculture, 65,347 in professionaland personal services, 23,831 in trade andtransportation, and 25,807 in manufactures andmechanical and mining industries. Among thespecial industries represented were: agriculturallaborers, 97,783; farmers and planters, 41,672;domestic servants, 26,833; laborers, 25,525;clergymen, 404; lawyers, 663; physicians andsurgeons, 939; teachers, 1,570; traders and dealers,7,797; clerks, salesmen, &c., 7,157; carmen,draymen, &c., 2,021; sailors, steamboatmen,&c., 2,176; blacksmiths, 1,483; boot and shoemakers, 1,594; masons and stone cutters, 1,135;butchers, 1,110; carpenters and joiners, 4,578;coopers, 1,141; painters and varnishers, 1,020;tailors, tailoresses, and seamstresses, 2,559.Among the descendants of the French settlersin many portions of the state French is stillthe vernacular.—The surface of the state isgenerally low and level. In the S. part nearlyone fourth of it lies but 10 ft. above the sea,and is liable to frequent inundations fromfreshets in the rivers. Much of the delta ofthe Mississippi is occupied by swamps, and thecoast is lined with extensive salt marshes. N.of these, on the W. of the Mississippi, are vastlevel prairies, having but little greater elevation.The W. margin of that river is also low,intersected by numerous streams, and liable toinundation. N. and W. of these two tracts is aregion occupying about half of the state, somewhatbroken and diversified by low hilly ranges,nowhere rising above 200 ft. The E. cornerof the state, lying between the Mississippi andPearl rivers and Lake Pontchartrain and thestate of Mississippi, resembles the region lastdescribed in its general features. In ascendingthe Mississippi, the E. bank first rises to forma natural barrier a few feet above the highestlevel of the river, at Baton Rouge; at PortHudson, 25 m. further up, the bluffs are nearly100 ft. high; and at Natchez they attain aheight of 200 ft. Below Baton Rouge on bothbanks, and on the W. bank throughout thestate, the country requires to be protected bylevees. More than 1,500 m. of these have beenbuilt on the Mississippi, the Red, the Lafourche,the Atchafalaya, the Black, and the Wash*tarivers, and on numerous important bayous, atgreat cost. Occasionally they burst, and greatdamage is caused by the overflow. One of themost extensive inundations ever known wasoccasioned by crevasses in the levees in thespring of 1874, when in Louisiana alone 31parishes were wholly or partially overflowed.The damage to crops and property was verygreat, and thousands of the inhabitants werepreserved from starvation only by the bountyof the government and the contributions ofthe benevolent.—Louisiana has a coast line of1,256 m. on the gulf of Mexico. This includesthe many irregular bays and other indentations,but not the islands belonging to the state,which have an aggregate coast line of 994 m.Toward the S. E. extremity lies Lake Borgne,which is properly a bay, communicating by twochannels with Lake Pontchartrain, and openinginto Mississippi sound. S. of Lake Borgne,and separated from it by the peninsula of St.Bernard parish, is Isle au Breton sound. Swanbay, Black bay, and Oyster bay are inlets ofthis sound. Bay Ronde and West bay lie oneither hand of the delta of the Mississippi; andon the S. coast are Barataria, Timbalier, Terrebonne,Caillou, Atchafalaya, Côte-Blanche, andVermilion bays. Although the entire coastexcept in the S. W. part is exceedingly irregular, there are not many good harbors. TheChandeleur islands, which lie opposite St.Bernard parish, S. of Mississippi sound, and E. ofIsle au Breton sound, form a good roadstead.Besides numerous ponds and lagoons amongthe salt marshes which line the S. shores, thereare some considerable lakes, most of which areexpansions of the rivers. Of these, the principalare Caddo, Soda, Cross, Bodeau, Bistineau,Wallace's, Canisnia, Bayou Pierre, Spanish,and Black, in the northwest; Jatt andCatahoula, S. E. of these; Calcasieu, Mermenteau,Chetimaches (or Grand), and Verret, in thesouth; and Des Allemands, Washa, Maurepas,and Pontchartrain, in the southeast. The lasttwo are expansions of the Amite river.—Thestate is abundantly supplied with large rivers.The Mississippi, navigable far beyond its limits,forms the N. half of the E. boundary, andthen entering the state crosses it in a S. E.direction to the gulf of Mexico, its mouth forminga delta. About 800 m. of its coursebelong wholly or in part to Louisiana. It beginsto send off branches to the gulf on the westnear the point where it enters the state; theAtchafalaya river is the first, and the entireregion between it and the main stream maybe said to belong to the delta. Among otherdeltoid streams are Grand river and Bayou deLarge, connected with the Atchafalaya, BayouTerrebonne, and Bayou Lafourche. These aremostly navigable throughout at high water.Bayou Teche, navigable at high water,empties into the Atchafalaya from the west, andby means of Bayou Bœuf is connected withRed river above Alexandria. E. of theMississippi the principal streams are the Amite(navigable by small steamers for 60 m.) and theTickfaw, which flow from Mississippi into LakeMaurepas; the Tangipahoa and the Chifunctee,which discharge into Lake Pontchartrain; andthe Bogue Chitto, which falls into the Pearl.The navigation of the Pearl is obstructed bysand bars and drift wood, but small boatsascend into Mississippi. In the S. W. part of thestate are the Mermenteau and Calcasieu rivers,which rise by numerous branches in the prairieregion S. W. of Red river, and after expandinginto the lakes of the same names dischargeinto the gulf of Mexico. The Sabine receivesnumerous small tributaries from the east, andis navigable at high water in portions of itscourse by small boats. The Red river entersfrom Arkansas in the northwest, and joins theMississippi near the outflowing of theAtchafalaya. The navigation of the Red river issomewhat obstructed at the mouth, but steamersascend at all seasons to the falls atAlexandria, and during eight months of the yearto Shreveport, above which the “great raft”has hitherto been a bar. This obstructionwas removed by the United States governmentin 1873, but the effect of the removalupon navigation remains to be determined. Thechief tributaries, which enter from the north,are the bayou Dauchite, which expands intoLake Bistineau; Black lake and Saline bayous,which unite before entering the Red river;Little river, which enters Catahoula lake; andBlack river, formed by the confluence of theWash*ta and Tensas. Most of these arenavigable by steamers, and the Wash*ta, which risesin Arkansas, is navigable beyond the limits ofthe state.—Louisiana presents many featuresof geological interest. The only formations arethe cretaceous, tertiary, and post-tertiary. Thefirst underlies the whole state, but crops outonly in the limestone hills of St. Landry andWinn parishes. It comes very near the surfaceat the salt wells in Bienville, Natchitoches,and Winn, and is the formation to which thesulphur of Calcasieu parish and the rock saltof Petit Anse belong. The tertiary presentsthe divisions which in Mississippi have beencalled the Jackson, Vicksburg, and Grand Gulfgroups. The Jackson group occupies the N.W. portion of the state, except immediatelyalong the Red river and one or two of itstributaries, as far E. as the Wash*ta, andoccurs in two isolated localities on the Arkansasborder just E. of that stream. It consists ofmarine strata with the characteristic fossils,of lignitic beds, and of non-fossiliferous bedsof laminated sands and clays. Gypsum,limestone, and iron ore occur. The Vicksburggroup occupies a belt not more than 12 m.wide, S. of the Jackson, and running S. W.from the Wash*ta river to the Sabine. Itconsists of smooth clays and clayey sands, fullof marine fossils. Lignite and estuary bedsoccur in some localities, yellow and whitelimestone nodules are common, and iron ochreabounds. S. and S. W. of the Vicksburg is theGrand Gulf group, stretching in a wideningbelt from the Wash*ta to the Texas border; italso occupies the N. portion of the region E.of the Mississippi. This group consists ofmassive clays, clay rocks, and sandstones generallyof poor quality, with no organic remainsexcept those of plants. The post-tertiary also,as in Mississippi, comprises the drift, the bluff,and the alluvial formations. The deposits ofthe drift period cover the formations alreadydescribed, except parts of the Vicksburg group,and consist of various alternations of red andyellow sands and clays, with pebbles, generallyflinty, but often of iron ore. The bluffformation, besides some isolated localities, occupiesa considerable area in Franklin, Richland,and Carroll parishes in the northeast, as wellas the region W. of Opelousas, lying S. of theGrand Gulf group and N. of the marshes. Italso forms a belt just N. of Lakes Pontchartrainand Maurepas, stretching from nearPearl river to the Mississippi, thence up thatriver to the state line, enclosing the GrandGulf group on the north and east. It consistschiefly of blue clays and fine sands, oftencontaining shells of recent species, or of very finegrained, hard-pan clays of light buff or grayishcolor, varied in a few localities by a finesilt, sometimes calcareous, with snail shells.This formation is overlaid by yellow loam,consisting generally of a single layer of clayeysilt, which also overlies much of the drift.The fossils are partly marine and partly terrestrial.The alluvium occupies the portion ofthe state not covered by the other formations,embracing the sea marshes, the delta of theMississippi, and a strip N. of the delta alongthe W. bank, generally from 30 to 50 m. wide,with a narrow belt on either bank of Red river.The mineral productions of the state areof minor importance. At Petit Anse, in Iberiaparish, there is a mass of pure rock salt,more than 144 acres in area and of unknowndepth, which is successfully mined; and inCalcasieu parish are extensive deposits ofsulphur and gypsum. The salt wells in Bienville,Natchitoches, and Winn parishes were workedduring the civil war.—The climate in winter,owing to north winds, is more severe than incorresponding latitudes on the Atlantic coast.The summers are long and hot, and mephiticexhalations from the marshes in autumngenerate malarial fevers. The mean temperaturefor the year ending Sept. 30, 1873, at NewOrleans (lat. 29° 57'), was 67.55°; at Shreveport(lat. 32° 30'), 63.91°. The mean temperatureof the warmest month at the former placewas 82.4°; at the latter, 81.7°; of the coldestmonth, 49.5° and 42° respectively. The totalrainfall for the year at New Orleans was 72.81inches; at Shreveport, 46.77 inches. Accordingto the census of 1870, the number of deathsin the state was 14,499, of which 5,498 werefrom general diseases, 1,949 from diseases ofthe nervous, 481 of the circulatory, 1,876 ofthe respiratory, and 2,128 of the digestivesystem, 667 from accidents and injuries, and therest from miscellaneous causes. Of specialdiseases, consumption proved fatal in 1,991 cases,fevers in 1,128, pneumonia in 495, paralysis in248, cancers in 186, cholera infantum in 179,encephalitis in 151, enteritis in 116, dropsy in114, diarrhœa in 103, and apoplexy in 99.—Thesoil of the river bottoms is exuberantlyfertile, and the alluvial land is easily drained.Most of it is heavily timbered, and coveredwith an undergrowth of cane. The prairiesare not generally productive, and in someplaces are barren, but afford good grazing.The hilly region, while generally producinggood crops of cotton, consists principally ofpine barrens, yielding an abundance of pitchpine, and containing also oak, elm, cypress,honey locust, and other timber. Other foresttrees are the sassafras, ash, walnut, hickory,poplar, mulberry, magnolia, cotton wood,buckeye, papaw, maple, willow, hackberry,pecan, dogwood, and persimmon. The wildcane grows to a height of 15 to 30 ft. Amongfruits are the peach, quince, plum, fig, apple(in the north), orange, lemon, lime, &c.; theorange does not flourish above lat. 30°. Thestaples of agriculture are cotton, sugar, rice,and Indian corn. The rice and sugar aregrown almost exclusively in the alluvial soilalong the Mississippi, more than half of therice crop of 1870 having been produced inthe parish of Plaquemines. The sugar canedoes not flourish above lat. 31°. Louisianaproduces nearly all the sugar made in the UnitedStates, and in 1870 was third among thestates in the yield of rice and fourth in theproduction of cotton. Sugar culture wasintroduced in 1751, but there are no reports ofproduction till 1823. In 1828, 88,000 hhds.were manufactured; from that year to 1838the crops varied from 30,000 to 100,000 hhds.,thence to 1848 from 87,000 to 240,000 hhds.,and in the 10 years ending with 1858 from74,000 to 449,000 hhds. The production since1860 has been as follows:

The yield is very uncertain; it formerly, saysChampomier, reached as high as 3,000 or 4,000lbs., and in some cases even 6,000 lbs. to theacre; but more recently it has often ranged aslow as 500 to 1,000 lbs. The number of acresof improved farm land in 1870 was 2,045,640;number of farms, 28,481, of which 11,194 wereunder 20 acres, 8,854 from 20 to 50, 3,888from 50 to 100, 3,753 from 100 to 500, 650from 500 to 1,000, and 142 over 1,000 acres;cash value of farms, $68,215,421; of farmingimplements and machinery, $7,159,333; wagespaid during the year, including value of board,$11,042,789; estimated value of all farmproductions, including betterments and additionsto stock, $52,006,622; value of orchardproducts, $142,129; of produce of market gardens,$176,969; of forest products, $92,596; of homemanufactures, $64,416; of animals slaughteredor sold for slaughter, $817,831; of live stock,$15,929,188. The productions were 9,906bushels of wheat, 984 of rye, 7,596,628 ofIndian corn, 17,782 of oats, 1,226 of barley, 260of buckwheat, 26,888 of peas and beans, 67,695of Irish potatoes, 1,023,706 of sweetpotatoes, 15,854,012 lbs. of rice, 15,541 of tobacco,140,428 of wool, 322,405 of butter, 11,747of cheese, 2,363 of wax, 37,646 of honey,350,832 bales of cotton, 578 gallons of wine,833,928 of milk sold, 4,585,150 of canemolasses, 180 of sorghum molasses, 8,776 tonsof hay, and 80,706 hogsheads of cane sugar.The live stock consisted of 59,738 horses,61,338 mules and asses, 102,076 milch cows,32,596 working oxen, 200,589 other cattle,118,602 sheep, and 338,326 swine. There werebesides 3,559 horses and 52,832 cattle not onfarms.—The number of manufacturingestablishments was 2,557, having 887 steam enginesof 24,924 horse power, and 23 water wheels of142 horse power; number of hands employed,30,071, of whom 23,637 were males above 16,4,210 females above 15, and 2,224 youth; capitalinvested, $18,313,974; wages paid,$4,593,470; value of materials, $12,412,023; ofproducts, $24,161,905. The most importantestablishments, with the value of products,were: 204 of boots and shoes, $459,721; 98of bread and bakery products, $875,261; 22 ofbricks, $264,300; 45 of carriages and wagons,$200,280; 5 of cars, $368,730; 114 of clothing,$424,173; 89 of cooperage, $255,395; 4of cotton goods, $251,550; 9 of drugs andchemicals, $248,125; 1 of fertilizers, $140,400;248 of flouring and grist mill products, $726,287;3 of gas, $862,172; 2 of ice, $250,000;15 of iron castings, $552,470; 2 of distilledliquors, $100,960; 12 of malt liquors,$250,920; 8 of planed lumber, $431,000; 152 ofsawed lumber, $1,212,037; 20 of machinery,$896,518; 686 of molasses and sugar,$10,341,858; 3 of refined molasses and sugar,$643,085; 6 of cotton-seed oil, $324,700; 48of tobacco and cigars, $578,890; and 14 shipbuilding and repairing establishments,$326,230.—Louisiana contains two customsdistricts, New Orleans and Teche (port of entry,Brashear City, formerly Franklin), and itscommerce, carried on chiefly through New Orleans,is extensive and important. The value ofimports from foreign countries for the year endingJune 30, 1873, was $19,933,344; of exportsto foreign ports, $104,926,000, of which$104,357,233 ($27,268 from Teche) representeddomestic produce, and $568,767 foreign produce.The chief items of export were 1,147,376 balesof cotton, valued at $98,151,682; 24,065,296lbs. of tobacco, $2,569,558; 960,324 bushelsof Indian corn, $563,323; 36,327,583 lbs. ofoil cake, $438,667; 55,738 barrels of flour,$407,453; hides and skins to the value of$353,438; 3,110,766 lbs. of lard, $257,337;343,687 gallons of cotton-seed oil, $175,231.The entrances were 234 American vessels of142,835 tons (Teche, 2 of 1,166 tons), and 507foreign vessels of 381,122 tons; clearances, 267American vessels of 192,599 tons (Teche, 1 of1,187 tons), and 512 foreign vessels of 383,465tons. The entrances and clearances in thecoastwise trade, with the number, &c., ofvessels belonging to each district, are shown inthe following table:

Of the entrances, 305, of 271,766 tons, weresteamers, and of the clearances, 348, of 288,787tons; 213 of those registered, &c., withan aggregate tonnage of 63,974, were steamers,437, of 36,934 tons, sailing vessels, and11, of 1,179 tons, barges; 158 steamers, of40,841 tons, and 7 barges, of 841 tons, wereengaged in the river trade, the rest in oceanor coast navigation. There were 19 sailingvessels, of 246 tons, and 5 steamers, of 560tons, built during the year.—The number ofmiles of railroad in the state in 1841 was 40;in 1851, 80; in 1861, 335. The mileage inoperation in 1874, the names of the lines, and thetermini of the completed portions are shownin the following table:

LINES.	Termini.	Miles in operationin the state.
BatonRouge,GrosseTête,andOpelousas.	WestBatonRougetoLombard,PointeCoupéeparish	28
Clinton and Port Hudson	Port Hudson to Clinton	21½
Morgan's Louisiana and Texas	New Orleans to Brashear City	80
Branches of above	Main line to Raceland	2¼
	Terrebonne to Houma	15
NewOrleans,Jackson,andGreatNorthern	New Orleans to Canton, Miss. (206 m.)	88
New Orleans, Mobile, and Texas	Mobile via New Orleans to Donaldsonville (200 m.)	93
North Louisiana and Texas	Delta (opposite Vicksburg, Miss.) to Monroe	72
Pontchartrain	New Orleans to Lakeport, on Lake Pontchartrain	6
Texas and Pacific	Shreveport to Dallas, Texas (186 m.)	20
West Feliciana	Bayou Sara to Woodville, Miss. (27 m.)	19½
Total		445¼

The entire route of the New Orleans, Mobile,and Texas railroad, as contemplated in thecharter, extends to Houston, Texas, withbranches from Vermilionville to BrashearCity and Shreveport; the ultimate terminusof the North Louisiana and Texas line isShreveport, making the entire length 170 m.;while the Texas and Pacific railroad is intendedto extend to San Diego, Cal. There areseveral short canals in the vicinity of NewOrleans, connecting the navigable waters of therivers and lakes.—On Nov. 1, 1873, there were8 national banks, with an aggregate capital of$4,150,000; and on Jan. 1, 1874, 2 charteredand 4 free banks working under state law,with an aggregate capital of $4,092,300. Thesewere all situated in New Orleans, in whichcity there are also a number of savings banksand insurance companies.—The government isadministered under the constitution of 1868,which declares that all persons born ornaturalized in the United States and subject to thejurisdiction thereof, who have resided in thestate one year, are citizens of the state, andshall enjoy the same civil, political, and publicrights and privileges, and be subject to thesame pains and penalties; that citizens oweparamount allegiance to the United States;that the ordinance of secession is null andvoid; and that neither slavery nor involuntaryservitude, except as a punishment for crime,shall exist. It fixes the seat of government atNew Orleans. The executive power is vestedin a governor, lieutenant governor (ex officiopresident of the senate), secretary of state,treasurer, auditor, attorney general, andsuperintendent of public education, elected by thepeople for a term of four years. The governorand lieutenant governor must be citizensof the United States, and residents of the statefor the two years next preceding theirelection. The governor is commander-in-chief ofthe militia, grants reprieves and pardons, andhas a veto upon the acts of the legislature,which may be overcome by a two-thirds voteof both houses. He enters upon his office onthe second Monday of January after his election.In case of the death, resignation, orinability to serve of the governor, the lieutenantgovernor performs the duties of the office.The salary of the governor is $8,000; of thetreasurer, auditor, attorney general, andsuperintendent of education, $5,000 each; and ofthe lieutenant governor and secretary of state,$3,000 each. The legislative power is vestedin a general assembly, consisting of a senateand house of representatives. The senators,36 in number, are elected for four years, onehalf retiring biennially; the representatives,numbering not more than 120 nor less than90 (present number, 107), hold office for twoyears. For senatorial purposes the state isdivided into districts (at present 24) of as nearlyequal population as possible, no parishbeing divided except Orleans, from each of whichnot more than two senators are chosen. Therepresentatives are apportioned among theparishes and 12 representative districts ofOrleans according to population, each parishhaving at least one. After the state census of1875 and every ten years thereafter a newapportionment is to be made. Every qualifiedelector of the district may be a representative,and if 25 years of age a senator. The legislaturemeets annually on the first Monday ofJanuary, unless a different day is appointed bylaw, but no session can continue longer than60 days. Members receive $8 a day duringattendance, and while going to and returningfrom the seat of government. The house ofrepresentatives has the power of impeachment;the senate constitutes the court for the trial, atwo-thirds vote being necessary for conviction.The judicial power is vested in a supremecourt, district courts, parish courts, andjustices of the peace. The supreme court hasappellate jurisdiction only, and consists of a chiefjustice (salary $10,000) and four associates(salary $9,500) appointed by the governor withthe advice and consent of the senate for eightyears. They must be citizens of the UnitedStates, and must have practised law for fiveyears, and the last three years before theirappointment in this state. The state is to bedivided every four years into not less than 12nor more than 20 judicial districts (presentnumber, 13), in each of which, except the parishof Orleans, which constitutes the firstdistrict, there is to be one district court, presidedover by a single judge, having generaljurisdiction in criminal cases, original jurisdictionin civil cases in which the amount indispute exceeds $500 exclusive of interest, andappellate jurisdiction in civil suits from theparish courts where the amount in disputeexceeds $100 exclusive of interest. The districtjudges (salary $5,000) are elected by the peopleof. the respective districts for a term of fouryears, and must be citizens of the United States,over 25 years of age, residents of the state,and have practised law therein for two yearsnext preceding their election. In the parishof Orleans there are seven district courts; thefirst has criminal jurisdiction in all exceptcapital cases, the second exclusive jurisdictionin probate matters, the third exclusivejurisdiction of appeals from judgments of justicesof the peace in general cases; the superiordistrict court has exclusive jurisdiction to issuewrits of injunction, mandamus, and quowarranto, and of all proceedings in which the rightto any public office is in dispute, and exclusiveoriginal jurisdiction in proceedings in whichthe state, the city of New Orleans, the boardof metropolitan police, the board of schooldirectors of New Orleans, or any corporationdomiciled in that city, is interested, when theamount in dispute exceeds $100, besidesappellate jurisdiction of judgments of justices ofthe peace in such cases; the other three haveexclusive jurisdiction in general civil cases,not probate, when the sum in dispute exceeds$100 exclusive of interest. A superior criminalcourt has recently been created, withexclusive jurisdiction in cases of murder, treason,&c., in the parish of Orleans. In each parish ajudge of the parish court is elected by the peoplefor two years; these courts have jurisdictionin cases of misdemeanor when the accusedwaives a jury, of the probate of wills, &c.;original jurisdiction in other civil cases in whichthe amount in dispute is more than $25 andless than $500 exclusive of interest; and appellatejurisdiction of judgments of justices ofthe peace when the amount in dispute exceeds$10 exclusive of interest. In the parish courtsthere is no jury. Judges may be removedfrom office upon impeachment, or by thegovernor upon the address of two thirds of bothhouses of the legislature. Justices of the peaceare elected by the people of the variousparishes for two years, and have jurisdiction incivil cases when the amount in dispute doesnot exceed $100 exclusive of interest, and suchcriminal jurisdiction as may be conferred bylaw. All male citizens of the United States,except convicts, 21 years of age, who haveresided in the state one year and in theparish ten days next preceding the election,are entitled to vote in the parish where theyreside and at the precinct where they areregistered. General elections are held on theTuesday after the first Monday of November,and the vote is by ballot. No oneconvicted of a heinous crime nor any defaulterin public funds can hold office, but noproperty qualification for office can be required.All officers, besides swearing to support theconstitution and laws of the United States andof the state, and to discharge their dutiesfaithfully, are required to make oath that theyaccept the civil and political equality of allmen, and agree not to attempt to deprive anyperson or persons, on account of race, color,or previous condition, of any political or civilright, privilege, or immunity enjoyed by anyother class of men. The militia consists of allable-bodied males between the ages of 18 and45. The legislature is required to levy a polltax of not exceeding $1—50 on every maleinhabitant over 21 years of age, for school andcharitable purposes. Amendments to theconstitution must be proposed by two thirds ofeach house of the legislature, and subsequentlyratified by the people. The present constitutionfixes the seat of government at NewOrleans, whence it cannot be removed without atwo-thirds vote of both houses of the legislature.In Louisiana, unlike the other states, thecivil and not the common law prevails. Thecode, of which the last revision was made in1870, is based upon the Spanish law, whichprevailed at the time of the cession to the UnitedStates, and upon the Code Napoléon. Theseparate property of a married woman cannotbe sold by her husband, and she may administerit herself. All property acquired duringmarriage, the earnings of the joint or separatelabor of husband and wife, and the revenues ofthe separate property of each, enter intocommunity, and are equally divided between them.The principal grounds of divorce are adultery,condemnation to infamous punishment, habitualintemperance, cruel treatment, abandonment,and any misconduct that renders livingtogether insupportable. Treason, murder, rape,and arson committed in the night upon a dwellingare punishable with death. Other punishmentsare fines and imprisonment for variousterms. The rate of interest in the absence ofstipulation is 5 per cent., but as high as 8 per cent.may be collected by special agreement.Louisiana is entitled to six representatives, and incommon with the other states to two senatorsin congress, and has eight votes in the electoralcollege.—The valuation of property as reportedin the United States census was as follows:

The diminution in value in the last decade islargely due to the emancipation of the slaves.The taxation not national in 1870 amountedto $7,060,722, of which $2,671,693 was statetax, $4,109,999 parish, and $279,030 town,city, &c. The public debt was $53,087,441,of which $25,021,734 ($22,560,233 bonded)was state debt, $1,326,635 ($847,526 bonded)parish, and $26,739,072 ($18,123,010 bonded)town, city, &c. The funded state debtincludes bonds to the amount of $993,500 heldby the educational funds, $198,000 by theredemption fund, $1,992,000 issued in paymentof state subscription to railroad stock, $1,146,000issued in aid of railroads and canals, and$4,838,933 lent to banks. The unfunded statedebt includes $200,000 due the educationalfund. The resources of the redemption fundamounted to $231,000. The taxable value ofproperty in 1872 was $228,666,65362, viz.:real estate, $180,108,22583; live stock,$11,394,056; carriages and vehicles, $1,750,760;shares in vessels, $3,232,864; money lent orin possession, $1,871,46360; capital investedin trade and commerce, $27,924,41420; capitalstock of banks and other corporations notexempt from taxation, $1,305,27499; householdgoods and tools beyond the exemption,$1,077,595. The valuation in 1873 was$224,238,51906, of which $146,781,402 was thevaluation of the city of New Orleans. Therate of taxation was $215 on $100, viz.: $115for interest, $020 for schools, $040 for thegeneral fund, and $040 for the constructionand repair of levees. The receipts, accordingto the report of the auditor, for the year endingDec. 31, 1873, were $4,016,69004, ofwhich $3,246,95977 were from taxes on propertyand polls, $47,87655 from the tax on theLouisiana state lottery company, &c.,$37,61591 from the redemption of lands forfeitedfor taxes, $451,80280 from licenses on trades,occupations, and professions, and the dutyon auction sales, $202,88456 from profits inthe purchase of general fund warrants, $7,000from the lease of the state penitentiary, and therest miscellaneous. The expenditures duringthe same period were $3,696,91292, of which$1,020,99553 were for reduction of andinterest on the debt, $314,45081 forcompensation and contingent expenses of the generalassembly, $94,98775 for outstandinglegislative vouchers or warrants, $283,71072 forsalaries of judges, $193,03755 for salaries ofother public officers and employees, $49,43539for contingent expenses of the several statedepartments, $13,61666 for rent of publicoffices, $549,200 for construction and repairof levees, $50,000 for the support of theinsane asylum, $37,500 of the deaf and dumbasylum, $18,750 of the blind asylum, $120,000for the support and $15,000 for the repair ofthe charity hospital, $28,050 on account ofthe state university, $151,54050 to the stateprinter, $100,000 for arming, equipping, andmaintaining the militia, $294,58271 for thesupport of free public schools, and the restmiscellaneous. The actual bonded debt of thestate, Jan. 1, 1874, was $22,308,800 (including$529,000 bonds belonging to the free schoolfund and $136,000 to the seminary fund),upon which the accruing annual interest was$1,535,328. Of this amount $7,960,000 wasissued to defray the expense of building levees,$4,492,000 in payment of stock of railroadcompanies, $3,629,000 in aid of railroad andnavigation companies, the rest for variouspurposes; $10,082,800 was issued before theadoption of the present constitution, and$12,226,000 subsequent thereto. The actualunfunded debt amounted to $2,074,38036. Thecontingent funded debt was $4,803,68333,consisting of bonds to the amount of $4,297,33833lent to the Citizens' bank, and $506,350lent to the Consolidated bank, for whichit is believed the state is fully secured. Thecontingent unfunded debt was $679,91914,consisting of $479,91914 due the generalgovernment under the deposit act, and $200,000due the free school accumulating fund.Besides these sums the state, under existing acts,was liable to be called upon to issue bondsto the amount of $21,090,500, chiefly in aidof railroads. Of this amount $8,087,500 wasunder acts passed subsequently to the adoptionof the amendment to the constitution inNovember, 1870, which declares “that priorto the first day of January, 1890, the debt ofthe state shall not be so increased as to exceed$25,000,000.” The act of Jan. 24, 1874, knownas the “funding act,” authorizes the issue of“consolidated bonds,” bearing interest at therate of 7 per cent. per annum, and payable 40years from Jan. 1, 1874, to the amount of$15,000,000 if necessary, which are to be exchangedfor all valid outstanding bonds of the state andall valid warrants drawn previous to thepassage of the act, at the rate of 60 cents inconsolidated bonds for $1 in outstanding bondsand warrants. A tax of 5½ mills on the dollaris levied annually for the purpose of payingthe interest and principal of the consolidatedbonds, and is declared by the act to be acontinuing appropriation till the bonds areredeemed. The act also declares that the entiretax for state purposes, except the support ofpublic schools, shall never exceed 12½ mills onthe dollar, and that prior to 1914 the statedebt shall not be directly nor indirectlyincreased beyond the sum of $15,000,000, andrepeals and annuls all grants of state aidpreviously made that have lapsed or beenforfeited.—The state institutions are thepenitentiary at Baton Rouge, the insane asylumat Jackson, the charity hospital at NewOrleans, and the institutions for the education ofthe deaf and dumb and of the blind at BatonRouge. The convicts at the penitentiary areleased to a corporation, and are chieflyemployed in the building and repairing of levees,the state deriving a small revenue from thelease. The number on May 9, 1874, was 410,of whom 395 were males and 15 females, 83whites and 327 colored. The number ofinmates of the insane asylum during 1873 was186 (87 males and 99 females); remaining atthe close of the year, 165, of whom 76 weremales and 89 females, 130 whites and 35colored. The asylum buildings are inadequate,and not well adapted to its needs. The charityhospital was founded by a Spanish residentof New Orleans in 1786. The present building,which has capacity for 630 beds, waserected in 1832 by the aid of a grant from thestate and a gift from the state of Pennsylvania,with the assistance of benevolentindividuals. The hospital is open to all applicants.The number of patients treated during 1873was 5,660; remaining at the close of the year,543. The institution for the deaf and dumbhas a printing office and bookbinderyconnected with it for the instruction of thepupils, by whom a bi-weekly paper is published.The number in attendance during 1873 was 54(34 males and 20 females). The institutionfor the blind was separately organized in1871, having previously been connected withthat for the deaf and dumb, and occupiesleased buildings. It has an industrial homeconnected with it, which is intended toprovide the blind with board and lodging, and tosupply them with work by means of whichthey may support themselves. The number ofpupils in attendance during 1873 was 26 (17males and 9 females); remaining at the closeof the year, 21.—The constitution requiresthe legislature to establish in each parish atleast one free public school, and to provide forits support by taxation or otherwise, andprescribes that all children from 6 to 21 yearsof age shall be admitted to the public schoolsand other institutions of learning sustained orestablished by the state, without distinctionof color. The public schools are governed bythe provisions of the act of March 16, 1870,and subsequent amendments. The state isdivided into six divisions, the parish of Orleansforming the sixth. For each division asuperintendent of public education is appointed bythe governor, with the consent of the senate,for three years. The division superintendents,with the state superintendent of public education,constitute the state board of education,which chooses a secretary, and appoints fortwo years a board of school directors, whoserve gratuitously, for each incorporated cityand town of from three to five members, andfor each parish except Jefferson and Orleansof five members. Jefferson has a board ofdirectors for that portion on each bank of theMississippi, and the board of directors for theparish of Orleans and city of New Orleansconsists of 20 members, one from eachrepresentative and one from each municipal district,together with the city administrator of financeand the superintendent of public education forthe sixth division ex officio. The school fundconsists of the proceeds of lands granted bythe United States for the support of publicschools and of escheated estates, with anyproperty that may be bequeathed for schoolpurposes. The interest upon this fund at 6per cent. per annum, the rents of any unsoldlands, and the interest of the United Statestrust fund deposited with the state under theact of congress of June 23, 1836, areappropriated for the support of public schools.According to the report of the state superintendentfor the year ending Dec. 31, 1873, therewere 272,334 persons in the state of schoolage; number of school districts, 483; of publicschools, 864; teachers, 1,296 (685 malesand 611 females); pupils enrolled, 59,030;average salary of teachers per month, $4250;average number of months each school wastaught, 4½; estimated value of schoolproperty, $661,962; number of school houses builtduring the year, 101. So far as the grade wasreported, there were 3 high schools, 1 highgrammar, 81 grammar, 124 intermediate, and331 primary; of the pupils, so far as distinctionof sex was given, 28,371 were males and27,089 females. The average daily attendancein 34 parishes was 35,061. No public schoolswere reported in seven parishes, and in six ofthese neither public nor private schools werereturned. The whole number of privateschools reported was 296, with 794 teachersand 21,434 pupils. The receipts for thesupport of public schools, including $91,91719on hand at the beginning of the year, were$678,47352, of which $254,24950 were fromstate apportionments, $204,99594 fromcorporate authorities, $44,88378 from sale ofschool lands, $34,600 from appropriation forsalaries of officers and office expenses, and$47,72711 from other sources. The disbursem*nts,of which $144,32374 were paid inschool certificates, were $723,826, of which$551,46092 were for teachers' wages,$42,96662 for rent of school houses, $13,41988for repairs of school houses, $13,96635 forpurchase of school furniture, $4,03807 forschool-house sites, $14,99539 for buildingschool houses, $30,63204 for fuel andincidentals, $80240 for school apparatus,$16,94433 for previous indebtedness, $34,600 forsalaries and contingent expenses ofsuperintendents and other officers; balance on handat the close of the year, $98,97126. Thenumber of schools of all classes in 1870,according to the United States census, was 592,with 926 male and 976 female teachers,29,854 male and 30,317 female pupils, and anannual income of $1,199,684. This numberincludes 178 public schools, 36 classical (8colleges and 28 academies), 4 professional (1 law,2 medical, and 1 theological), 8 technical (4commercial, 1 for the blind, 1 for the deaf anddumb, and 2 of art and music), 293 day andboarding, and 73 parochial and charity. Thefollowing table exhibits the statistics of theprincipal colleges of the state for 1872-'3:

The Louisiana state university was establishedby act of the legislature in 1855, on grants ofland made by the United States at varioustimes between 1806 and 1827 for the establishmentof “a seminary of learning.” It wasopened at Alexandria for the reception ofcadets in January, 1860, under the superintendenceof Col. (now Gen.) W. T. Sherman, butit* operations were interrupted during thecivil war. It was reopened in October, 1865.On Oct. 15, 1869, the building was burned,and in the following November the institutionwas removed to temporary quarters in theasylum for the deaf and dumb at Baton Rouge.The university embraces a preparatory and anacademic department, a special school of civilengineering, and a commercial school. Theacademic department comprises literary,scientific, and optional courses. The organizationis military, and there are daily drills andparades. The apparatus in the various scientificdepartments is valuable, and the collections ofspecimens in natural history are extensive.Applicants for admission are required to be atleast 15 years of age. A legislative act of1870 provided for the education and maintenanceof two indigent youths from each parish,and 20 from New Orleans, who after remainingfour years at the university are requiredto teach two years in the state; but since 1873the necessary appropriation has not been made.The professors of engineering, mineralogy,geology, botany, and zoölogy are required tomake surveys of the state, and four annualreports on its botany, geology, and topographyhave been submitted. Straight university isopen to all without distinction of race or sex,and embraces seven departments, viz.: elementary;academic, designed to impart a higherEnglish education, or to furnish a preparationfor college; normal, for the training of teachers;collegiate, which comprises the usualclassical course of four years and an agriculturalcourse of three years; law, medical, andtheological. The New Orleans university, likewisemaking no distinction of race or sex, haspreparatory, normal, collegiate, and theologicaldepartments. The other colleges in thetable have a preparatory and a collegiate course.Leland university (Baptist), in New Orleans,was incorporated in 1870. By the aid of thefreedmen's bureau and of benevolent individualsgrounds were bought and a building waserected, which was opened for the receptionof students in November, 1873. A preparatoryand a theological department are in operation,and others are to be organized. The universityof Louisiana, in New Orleans, was charteredin 1847. The law department was organizedthe same year; in 1874 it had 4 professorsand 464 alumni. A medical school, organizedin 1834, became the medical department; in1873-'4 it had 10 professors and instructors,210 students, of whom 49 graduated in medicineand 11 in pharmacy, and a library of2,000 volumes. The students have the use ofthe charity hospital as a school of practicalinstruction. The other departments of theuniversity originally contemplated have not beenorganized. The New Orleans dental college,organized in 1867, in 1873-'4 had 8 professorsand 18 students. By the act of congress ofJuly 2, 1862, for the establishment of collegesof agriculture and the mechanic arts, 210,000acres of land were donated to the state, whichhas been sold for $182,630. This fund hasbeen bestowed upon the “Louisiana stateagricultural and mechanical college,” organized bythe act of April 7, 1874. It has been openedtemporarily in New Orleans, but a permanentsite in the country is contemplated. The actof organization appropriates $10,000 for thepurchase of land and the erection of buildings,and pledges further appropriations for thosepurposes to the aggregate of $50,000. Thecollege embraces a preparatory course of twoyears and agricultural and mechanical schools,in each of which the regular course is fouryears. Those who complete this coursereceive the degree of doctor of philosophy. Thereare professorships of chemistry and of naturalphilosophy and mathematics as applied toagriculture and the mechanic arts, of civil, mechanical,and maritime engineering, and of modernlanguages and literature; a tutor in geometrical,topographical, and free-hand drawing; aninstructor in maritime science and practice (tobe taught on a school ship); and tutors intelegraphy, wood engraving, and photography forfemale pupils. Students are admitted withoutdistinction of race or color, and tuition is freeto those who intend to enter the ministry orare nominated by members of the legislature,each senator having the right to nominate twoand each representative three. Applicantsmust be at least 12 years old, residents of thestate, and competent to enter upon the studiesof the preparatory course.—The number oflibraries returned in the census of 1870 was2,332, containing 847,406 volumes, of which1,852, with 584,140 volumes, were private. Ofthose not private, 2, with 64,000 volumes, werestate libraries; 1, with 10,000 volumes, city;61, with 31,583 volumes, court and law; 34,with 37,050 volumes, school, college, &c.; 173,with 40,225 volumes, Sunday school; 183, with60,008 volumes, church; and 26, with 20,400volumes, circulating. There were 92newspapers and periodicals, having an aggregatecirculation of 84,165, and issuing 13,755,690copies annually, viz.: 7 daily, circulation34,395; 1 tri-weekly, circulation 800; 8 semi-weekly,circulation 8,500; 75 weekly, circulation39,970; and 1 monthly, circulation 500.They were classified as follows: agriculturaland horticultural, 1; commercial and financial,2; illustrated, literary, and miscellaneous, 3;devoted to nationality, 1; political, 85. About20 are printed wholly or partly in French.The number of church organizations was 638,with edifices, sittings, and property as follows:

—The French after their establishment in Canadaexplored the Mississippi to the sea in 1682,but made no settlement near its mouth before1699, when Iberville founded his first colonyat Biloxi, now in Mississippi. In 1702 settlementswere made on Dauphine island and atMobile, now in Alabama. At this time andfor 60 years afterward the Perdido river wasthe eastern boundary of the province ofLouisiana. New Orleans, the first permanentsettlement within the present limits of the state,was founded in 1718, and became the seat ofthe colonial government, transferred fromMobile, in 1722. In 1717 the province of Louisianawas granted, with extensive powers andprivileges, to a corporation known as the“Western Company,” or “Company of theMississippi.” Notwithstanding the disastrousfailure of John Law's “Mississippi scheme,”with which this company was intimatelyconnected, the population and general prosperityof Louisiana were greatly advanced under itsproprietorship, which continued for 15 years.Its charter was surrendered to the crown in1732. The French remained in possession ofLouisiana till 1762, when they ceded it toSpain. Little improvement was effectedunder the new rule, which was never popular.In 1800 it was retroceded to France, whichin 1803 sold it to the United States for thesum of $15,000,000. The region comprehendedin this purchase included all the countryW. of the Mississippi not occupied by Spain,as far N. as British territory, and comprisesthe whole or part of the present states ofArkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota,Missouri, Nebraska, and Oregon, the Indianterritory, and the territories of Colorado,Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Washington, andWyoming. The American flag was first raisedin New Orleans on Dec. 20, 1803. By the actof congress of March 26, 1804, the territorywas divided into two governments, that ofOrleans including the present state of LouisianaW. of the Mississippi and a portion E. ofthat river, and that of Louisiana all the countryN. and W. of it. On Feb. 11, 1811, an actof congress was passed to enable the inhabitantsto form a constitution and state government;and by a subseqent act of April 8, 1812,the territory of Orleans was admitted into theUnion under the title of the state of Louisiana.By the act of April 14, 1812, the remainderof the region E. of the Mississippi now underthe jurisdiction of the state, which, claimed bySpain, had been taken possession of the yearbefore by the United States, was added. OnJune 4, 1812, the territory theretofore knownas Louisiana had its designation altered toMissouri. The share that Louisiana took inthe war of 1812 is familiar to all. The greatbattle fought at New Orleans, Jan. 8, 1815, inwhich the British sustained a total defeat, wasthe crowning event of the period, and the lasthostile engagement between the two nations.New constitutions were framed in 1845 and1852. The vote of the state at the presidentialelection in 1860 was: for Breckinridge, 22,681;Bell, 20,204; Douglas, 7,625. Soon after theelection of Lincoln became known the governorissued a proclamation convening thelegislature for Dec. 10. This body met at theappointed time, and on the following day passedan act calling a convention of the people tomeet Jan. 23, 1861. The election for delegateswas held Jan. 8, and the convention passed anordinance of secession on Jan. 26 by a vote of113 to 17, having by a vote of 84 to 45 refusedto submit the question to the people. Thevote for delegates, subsequently publishedunder the auspices of the secessionists, stood20,448 in favor of secession to 17,296 against.On March 21 the constitution of the ConfederateStates was ratified in convention by a voteof 101 to 7; ordinances were also passedtransferring to the confederacy all fortifications,arsenals, lighthouses, &c., within the state.On Jan. 10 Forts Jackson and St. Philip, onopposite banks of the Mississippi, 75 m. belowNew Orleans, and commanding the approach tothat city, had been taken possession of by statetroops, and about the same time Fort Livingstoneon Grande Terre island, Barataria bay, andFort Pike at the entrance of Lake Pontchartrain,were also occupied. The arsenal at BatonRouge was seized on Jan. 11, with 50,000 standof small arms, a number of cannon, andconsiderable ammunition; and the United Statesmint and custom house at New Orleans, witha large sum of money, were seized on the 31st.The first military movement of importance inthe state was the capture of New Orleans.The federal fleet consisted of 47 armed vessels,with 310 guns and mortars, under command ofCapt. (afterward Admiral) Farragut; the landforces were commanded by Gen. BenjaminF. Butler. The fleet reached the vicinity ofForts Jackson and St. Philip on April 17,1862, and found the river defended also by anironclad carrying 16 guns, the formidable ramManassas, and a number of gunboats, fire ships,chains, and other obstructions. After severaldays' bombardment and the removal of someof the obstructions, Capt. Farragut ran pastthe forts on the 24th with some loss, destroyingthe confederate fleet, and reached NewOrleans the next day. On the 28th the fortssurrendered, and on May 1 Gen. Butler tookpossession of the city, the confederates underGen. Mansfield Lovell having abandoned it.Forts Pike and Wood at the entrance of LakePontchartrain were also taken. On the 7thBaton Rouge was reduced by the fleet, and onAug. 5 an attack of the confederates on theUnion force stationed here was repulsed, witha Union loss of 90 killed and 250 wounded;the confederate loss being probably about thesame. On Dec. 14 Gen. Banks supersededGen. Butler, who turned over to him 17,800men, including three regiments and twobatteries of colored troops. Early in January,1863, attempts were made to open theAtchafalaya, but the forces were withdrawn to assistAdmiral Farragut in running past PortHudson, which he accomplished on the night ofMarch 13-14. A movement was again begun onthe Atchafalaya early in April; Opelousas wasoccupied on the 20th, and on May 2 theAtchafalaya was open to the Red river. On May5-9 an advance was made to Alexandria. Allthe state except the N. W. corner was now inpossession of the federal forces. Port Hudsonwas invested on the land side on May 25, andwas besieged until July 8, when it surrendered,Gen. Banks having in the mean time madetwo ineffectual assaults. Early in June theconfederates under Gen. Richard Taylorreoccupied Alexandria and Opelousas, and on the22d took possession of Brashear City, and overranthe adjacent country; but after the fall ofPort Hudson they retired W. of the Atchafalaya,evacuating Brashear City on July 22. TheRed river expedition, which took place thefollowing year, had Shreveport for its objectivepoint. Gen. Banks was aided by a force underGen. A. J. Smith and by a fleet under AdmiralPorter. The rendezvous was at Alexandria,which was occupied March 16, 1864. The fleet,embarrassed by low water, could with difficultyget beyond Grand Ecore, 100 m. from Shreveport.The troops advanced to Sabine CrossRoads, where they were met, April 8, by superiorforces under Gens. Kirby Smith, Taylor,Mouton, and Green, and compelled to retreat,with heavy loss. The next day the enemy attacked again at Pleasant Hill, but were repulsedwith loss. From this point the federalscontinued to retreat, somewhat harassed by theconfederates, to Alexandria, where the fleetwas detained by the rapids. At length (May13) the vessels were all got over, through theengineering skill of Lieut. Col. Joseph Bailey,when the town was evacuated and accidentallyburned. Soon after Gen. Banks was supersededby Gen. Canby. On Dec. 4, 1862, the firsttwo congressional districts, comprising Orleansand adjacent parishes in the delta of theMississippi, being in the possession of the Unionforces, an election was held by order of Gen.Butler, those being entitled to vote who werequalified electors under the laws in force priorto secession, and who since the capture of NewOrleans had taken the oath of allegiance. Inthe first district Benjamin F. Flanders and inthe second Michael Hahn, both unconditionalUnion men, were elected, and they weresubsequently admitted to their seats. Local courtswere early organized by the military governorsin New Orleans, and in December, 1862, aprovisional court for the state, with one judgehaving full powers at law, in equity andadmiralty, and in criminal matters, was organizedby President Lincoln. In April, 1863, judgesof the supreme court were appointed by thesame authority. The affairs of the statecontinued under the control of the military, aidedby these instrumentalities. On Feb. 22, 1864,in accordance with the proclamation of thepresident of Dec. 8, 1863, an election for stateofficers was held, the portion of the state withinthe federal lines comprising 11 parishes andparts of 6 others, having, in 1860, 233,185inhabitants, and lying mainly in the delta E. ofBayou Teche, and along both banks of theMississippi as far up as Baton Rouge. Qualifiedelectors under the laws existing prior tosecession, who had taken the oath of allegianceand sworn to abide by the laws and proclamationsrelating to slavery, were permitted tovote. Refugees and soldiers were allowed tovote in the precincts where they happened tobe. Michael Hahn was elected governor, thewhole number of votes cast being 11,414, andwas inaugurated March 4. On the 15th hewas invested by the president with the powersof a military governor. On March 28 an electionof delegates to a constitutional conventionwas held. This body sat from April 6 to July23, and adopted a constitution abolishingslavery and providing for the education of bothcolors, which on Sept. 5 was ratified by the peopleby a vote of 6,836 to 1,566. Five congressmen(Unionists) were at the same time chosen,who however were not admitted to seats; anda legislature was elected almost unanimouslyin favor of a free state, which subsequentlyratified the 13th amendment to the constitutionof the United States and chose presidentialelectors; but the vote of the state was notcounted, nor were the senators admitted toseats in congress. On March 4, 1865, Gov.Hahn, who had been elected one of the UnitedStates senators, resigned, and was succeededby Lieut. Gov. Wells, who on Nov. 6 wasreëlected. The legislature chosen at the sametime, which was almost unanimously democratic,elected United States senators, who werenot admitted to seats. On July 30, 1866, a riotoccurred in New Orleans, which created muchexcitement throughout the country, and inwhich many lives were lost. The occasionwas the reassembling of the constitutionalconvention of 1864, which had adjourned subjectto the call of its president, and the powers ofwhich it was asserted by some had not expired.Under the reconstruction acts of 1867 Louisianawas with Texas created the fifth militarydistrict, and placed in charge of Gen. Sheridan,who assumed command March 19. On June3 he removed Gov. Wells, and B. F. Flanderswas appointed in his stead. A registration ofvoters was had under the provisions of thereconstruction acts, and 45,218 white and 84,436colored voters were enrolled. In August Gen.Sheridan was removed by President Johnson,and the command devolved upon Gen. Moweruntil the arrival of Gen. Hanco*ck, Nov. 29.An election to decide the question of aconvention and for delegates was held Sept. 27and 28, when 75,083 votes were cast in favorof and 4,006 against a convention. This bodymet in New Orleans Nov. 23, and remainedin session till March 9, 1868, agreeing upon aconstitution, which was ratified at a popularelection held April 17 and 18 by a vote of66,152 to 48,739. At the same time Henry C.Warmoth, republican, was elected governor,and a legislature republican in both brancheswas chosen. In March Gen. Hanco*ck wasremoved, and Gen. R. C. Buchanan was appointedin his place. On June 25 an act of congresswas passed admitting the state to representation;and on the 29th the state legislature met,and subsequently ratified the 14th amendmentand elected United States senators. Gov.Warmoth was inaugurated July 13, and the sameday the government was transferred to thecivil authorities. At the ensuing presidentialelection most of the colored voters remainedaway from the polls through allegedapprehension of violence from the whites, and thedemocratic electors received a large majority.The 15th amendment to the constitution of theUnited States was ratified by a vote of 18 to 3in the senate on Feb. 27, 1869, and of 55 to 9in the house on March 1. The state electionof 1872 occurred on Nov. 4, William P.Kellogg, republican, and John McEnery, democrat,being the candidates for governor, and at thesame time presidential electors were voted for.Immediately afterward serious trouble arosefrom charges of fraud and illegality in the election,and from the existence of boards of returningofficers in the interest of each candidate,both claiming to be legal. By the one thestate ticket headed by Kellogg and a legislaturelargely republican, and by the other McEneryand a democratic legislature, were declaredelected. As to presidential electors, one boardof canvassers returned that the Grant and Wilsonticket had a majority of 14,634; the otherboard returned that the Greeley and Brownticket had a majority of 6,492. In countingthe electoral votes (February, 1873), congressthrew out both returns from Louisiana and sothe state cast no official vote for president. InJanuary, 1873, both claimants for the governorshiptook the oath of office, and both legislaturesassembled; but Kellogg having beenrecognized by the federal executive, activeopposition soon ceased. On Sept. 14, 1874,Kellogg's opponents in New Orleans, under thelead of D. B. Penn, lieutenant governor on theMcEnery ticket, rose in arms, and on thefollowing morning took possession of the statehouse, Kellogg seeking refuge in the customhouse. The president, on the call of Kellogg,issued a proclamation on the 15th commandingthe Penn party to disperse within five days, andtroops were ordered to New Orleans. Pennaccordingly disbanded his forces, and on the19th Kellogg returned to the state house andresumed the government.