Louisiane

1803 · WRCAM42001 — New Orleans 1803. 1p. on a folded folio sheet with engraved scene entitled "République Française" at the top of the first page. A few manuscript notes and calculations on the second and fourth pages. Old folds. Some soiling on fourth page a bit of ink bleedthrough. Very good. with: PRINTED INVITATION SENT BY THE FRENCH COLONIAL PREFECT OF LOUISIANA LAUSSAT FOR A GALA IN HONOR OF THE SPANISH COMMANDER IN LOUISIANA AND IN ANTICIPATION OF HANDING THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY OVER TO THE UNITED STATES. Dec. 11 1803 19 Frimaire an XII. 1p. printed on a folded quarto sheet addressed in manuscript on the fourth page. Small tear in upper right corner of first page half-inch split along one fold. Very good. Together in a half morocco clamshell case cloth chemises. A remarkable pair of documents announcing to a local French commander the completion of the transfer of Louisiana from Spanish to French control and inviting him to an upcoming gala in honor of the local Spanish commander and the forthcoming transfer of Louisiana Territory to the United States. The letter and invitation are both addressed to Capt. Guillermo Duparc commandant of the Point Coupée military outpost just northwest of Baton Rouge. <br> <br> Pierre Clément de Laussat the last French Colonial Prefect of Louisiana arrived there in late March 1803 just a month before the Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed in Paris on April 30. Spain had ceded Louisiana to the French in the Treaty of San Ildefonso of 1800 though the provisions of the treaty had remained a secret; his immediate responsibility was to oversee the transfer from Spain to France. Laussat had been hearing rumors since his arrival of a potential sale of Louisiana from France to the Americans and those rumors were officially confirmed to him in August. In May 1803 the Spanish commanders of Louisiana including the Marquis de Casa Calvo announced the forthcoming retrocession of Louisiana from Spanish to French control a process that was formally completed on Nov. 30 1803. <br> <br> In the present letter dated just nine days after the completion of the Spanish retrocession Laussat writes Duparc sending him in translation from the French "the order which I have issued concerning taking possession of the French Republic of Louisiana in your district. I reached an agreement on it in advance with the Commissioners of S.M.C. Sa Majesté Catholique i.e. King Charles IV of Spain dated the 12th of Frimaire Dec. 4 1803." Laussat writes that along with the proclamation he is sending Duparc various decrees regarding the circumstances of French control and asks him to redouble his efforts for tranquility peace and order in his district. The proclamation and decrees mentioned by Laussat are not present with this letter. The manuscript letter is on Laussat's official letterhead with the seal of the French Republic and the engraved text "Marine. Coloniea. Louisiane." Interestingly Laussat has annotated the pre- printed portion of the letter changing his title from "Colonial Prefect of Louisiana" to "Colonial Prefect Commissioner of the French Government" reflecting the new political situation after the Spanish hand-over of the territory to the French just nine days earlier. <br> <br> The printed invitation is also addressed to M. Duparc and is very rare located by Jumonville in only one other copy at the Historic New Orleans Collection. Dated Dec. 11 1803 it invites Duparc to a SOIRÉE hosted by Laussat on "next Thursday" the 15th of December. The party was being held to commemorate the transfer of Louisiana from Spanish to French control and its impending transfer to the United States. More specifically the party was in honor of the Spanish commander the Marquis de Casa-Calvo brigadier of the Spanish armies in thanks for the Spaniards' efforts in recent days and as a sign of the union and friendship between the Spanish and French governments. On Dec. 20 1803 just eleven days after writing this letter and five days after his gala in honor of Casa-Calvo Laussat presided over the ceremony officially transferring Louisiana Territory to the United States. <br> <br> Laussat's manuscript letter and printed invitation of Capt. Duparc are rare survivals and fascinating evidence of the political military and social aspects of events in Louisiana in 1803 from the Spanish transfer of control of the territory to France to the official completion of the Louisiana Purchase by the United States. Printed invitation: JUMONVILLE 86. hardcover books