Chapter XXXVIII
Among the list of names of eminent commercial firms in the city of New York, published in the last chapter, as contributors to the loan to our Government in the war of 1812, will be found many French names, who were members of commercial houses. One was Majahre & Tardy; they kept at 80 Broad street.
They contributed $10,000.
John S. Roulet subscribed $10,000. He was of the firm of Rossier & Roulet, No. 21 Broadway. They were among the largest merchants of the city, and in their day were as eminent as Goodhue & Co. in this. Their house commenced business as early as the year 1800, and their business was immense. They retired about forty years ago. I am not aware that they left any descendants.
Joseph Icard was another. He gave $20,000. He was a heavy French merchant. He first started in business here at 85 Greenwich street, corner of Rector, in 1798. He afterwards moved to 14 Rector street, and lived at 308 Broadway. After the downfall of the Emperor Napoleon, he went back to Paris, and became a celebrated man. He took a contract for cleaning the streets of Paris, and made a million of francs.
Louis La Rue gave $25,000. He was a long time a celebrated merchant. He also came out of France in the time of the French Revolution, came to this city, and started at No. 10 Roosevelt street, near Chatham. He afterwards moved to No. 14 Hudson street, then the aristocratic part of the city. When the restoration in France occurred, he went back, and established in Havre the great commercial house of La Rue, Palmer & Co. This house did an immense business. Palmer was a New Yorker, had been a clerk with Mr. La Rue, and married his daughter.
Francis V. Riviere was another French exile, who contributed $10,000. He kept a large dry goods store at 190 Broadway, and lived at No. 3 John street. He went back to France as soon as Louis XVIII. was restored.
An immense number of Frenchmen came to this city from 1792 to 1802, for different causes. One cause was the Revolution in France of 1792, when heads began to be unsafe. Many Frenchmen went to St. Domingo. From there they were all glad to escape when the negro uprising and massacre occurred in 1799. Some of the French emigres landed here without a cent, and, in after years, did a large business. We mentioned some in our last. John Deseze taught music at 12 Reade street. He was of a noble French family. He was the father of Mrs. John B. Flandin, whom all New Yorkers will well recollect. J. B. was once a partner in the celebrated dry goods establishment of Vandervoort & Flandin, No. 111 Broadway.
John B. Desdoity was an emigre. He lived in Grand street, near Bowery, and was the father of a young man who was afterwards cashier of the Chemical Bank.
B. Desobrey was a French emigre. He kept a dry goods store from the year 1800 to the fall of Napoleon, at 261 William. His wife Madame Desobrey, was the most beautiful woman in New York. The very first sight of her set many men crazy.
Alexis Gardere was a French wine merchant. He kept at 115 Fly Market when he first arrived here, in 1802, (Maiden Lane, between Pearl and Water streets.) From there he removed to 71 Stone street.
Mr. Gardere was a refugee from St. Domingo. He came here twice; once in 1796 on business, and afterward in 1802, when he fled to escape the fury of the negroes. The last time he brought with him all his family, and four slaves. The name of one was Vato, and another named Veronique. She is living yet, though ninety years old, and has great grandchildren, and is much respected by all the descendants of old Mr. Gardere. He freed his slaves after his arrival here, in 1803, Madame Gardere had had three husbands in St. Domingo, Mr. G. being the last. There were children by the other husbands, but the last brought them all with him to New York. By the second husband there was a son, named Lawrence A. Rigail, who entered the United States army. He commanded at one time the Arsenal that in 1806, stood where Madison Square now stands, and where afterward stood the House of Refuge.
In later years he was in command of Fort Moultrie (near Charleston.) There he took the country fever and died. He had married a Miss Walker, of Milledgeville, Georgia. Colonel Rigail was regarded as one of the handsomest men in the Union.
Old Mr. Gardere had an only son, named Peter. He was the beau ideal of a perfect dare-devil; and many who read this will remember Peter Gardere. He was a high strung fellow; had a splendid education, spoke several languages, and, like his half brother Colonel Rigail, was good-looking.
In 1827 or '28, he joined Lord Byron in Greece, and was at Missolonghi when captured. After that dreadful event, he met the ex-Emperor Iturbide in Italy, and joined him. He went with him to Mexico, landed with him, and was with him when Iturbide was caught and shot.
(The Empress and wife of the same Iturbide died in Philadelphia a few weeks ago.) Peter Gardere escaped by declaring himself an American citizen. He finally became District Judge at Key West, where he died in 1845. He died rich. He was one of the favorite beaux of New York in his day.
In those years people in business lived over their stores. Among the rest was Mr. Gardere. In the war period he lived at 120 Pearl street, directly opposite to General Moreau.
This celebrated French General Victor Moreau, who at one time was even more celebrated than Bonaparte, was mixed up in the Pichegrew conspiracy. He fled from France, and came to this country about 1803. He took a house in Hanover Square, that is now, in 1811, where he lived with his amiable lady for three years, or until he went back to France to fight with the allies [Austria, Russia, and Prussia], and was killed at the battle of Dresden. While in New York he was very popular.
General Moreau lived at 119 Pearl street, corner of Slote lane.
The Bell Tavern, in Slote lane, kept by King, the father-in-law of William Niblo, was directly in the rear of the residence of General Moreau. To understand the precise locality, I must explain that Slote lane was Beaver street, now from William to Hanover, and then took a turn around into Hanover square. In the centre of Hanover square was a block of buildings (torn down 40 years ago,) reaching up as far as where Slote lane came into Hanover square; and Stone street, instead of ending at William, ran up as far as Slote lane, on the north side of what is now Hanover square.
Next door to General Moreau, lived Nicholas Low. He was of the firm of Low & Wallace, merchants, and a great man in his day.
On the opposite side of the square was called Pearl street, the odd number on the west side. There resided at No. 109, L. C. & T. Hammersly, and at No. 111, Luqueer & Vannest, saddler men, celebrated all in history in after years.
But, to the celebrated General Moreau, as I have said before, there was an immense number of high born but unfortunate Frenchmen here at that time. Among them was the celebrated G. Hyde de Neuville. He was a married man, and kept house quietly at 61 Dey street. They had no children.
These two prominent Frenchmen, wishing to do good, started a school for French children. They were assisted by Henry Cruger, a wealthy man, who lived at No. 12 Hudson street, next door to Louis La Rue; also by the celebrated Bishop Chevereuse, of Boston, afterward a Cardinal, and who would have been Pope had he not been poisoned. Also by John B. Lombart, the Chancellor of the French Consulate.
It was called the Economical School—"L'Ecole Economique." Those who were able to pay for children, paid. To others, it was free. The best professors in the Union were employed. Its first location was in Chapel street (West Broadway) between Duane and Reed. It was afterward moved to Anthony (now Worth,) opposite the Hospital grounds.
Every morning, Hyde de Neuville and General Moreau would go to the school, and give lectures and explanations to the scholars. This they did as a pastime. It gave rise, however, to the absurd story that Gen. Moeau taught school in the United States for a living. It was not so, for he was very wealthy, and entertained at his house in Hanover square in princely style. It was an immense concern. The school had grand examinations every year. It had a regular printing-office attached to it, and they printed all such books as were used in the school-grammars, geographies, dictionaries, Fontaine's Fables, etc.
These books were given to the scholars. One lies before me now. It is handsomely bound, and entitled "Excerpta ou Fables; Choisies de la Fontaine; par M. de la Harpe, New York: d'imprimerie l'Economical School. 1810." On the back of the cover is the following certificate signed by M. de Neuville, viz:
"Prix de bonne conduite accordè a Miss Hostin le 9 Juillet 1810, par les membres du comité inspecteur de l' ecole. (Signed) G. HYDE NEUVILLE. (Signed) LOMBART. Instituteur."
The young lady above was named Jane, and she was one of the most charming French girls that ever trod shoe leather in this city. Her father was a wine cooper and lived at 59 Fair street (Fulton.)
This great man, Hyde Neuville, after Louis XVIII was restored, went back to France. The King sent him back to this country as Minister Plenipotentiary, etc. When he reached New York on his way to Washington, he put up at the Washington Hotel, a large building that stood in Broadway, where A. T. Stewart's large dry goods store now stands. To his surprise about thirty of these boys, monitors in the Economical school, made their appearance. They had called to welcome their old friend back to America. He knew every one of these American boys, for Americans they were, although of French parentage, and some of the first merchants now bear the names, and are the same boys, though older. Both Monsieur and Madam Hyde de Neuville declared that they had never received so heart telling an honor. When the Ambassador reached Washington, he sent on an order to divide about 20,000 volumes of the publications of the school, among these monitor boys.
Joseph Denouse was the printer for the school. It declined after the fall of Napoleon and the departure of de Neuville and of Gen. Moreau. Out of it, however arose the celebrated school of Bancel. He was a refugee from St. Domingo. Victor Bancel commenced keeping a boarding-school as early as 1801, in Harrison street. When the great Economical school fell into decay, he secured its "good will." Many of our old merchants will remember Bancel very well.
The house occupied by Gen. Moreau, after he left was made into a hotel by Collet. It was a large double house. Collet was a man as celebrated in his day for superb French cookery, as Mataran, of Beekman street, is now.
In the block of buildings in what is now Hanover square, at No. 120, lived Cebra & Cummings. When the block was torn down, they moved to 106 Pearl, corner of Old Slip. In that region the old concern kept fifty-five years. Fifty years ago, they did an auction and commission business. John Y. Cebra was alderman of the First Ward for years, and a wealthy citizen. He died a few years ago. His partner is yet alive, hale and hearty, and still carries on the business.
L. C. & Thomas Hammersley did business at No. 109 Pearl street, sixty years ago.
Their father, old Andrew Hammersley, did business as an ironmonger and dry goods merchant, just after the war in 1784, at No. 46 Hanover square, in about the same place. He had a son named William Hammersley, who was a physician. Later old Andrew moved to 25 Courtlandt street, and left his sons, L. C. & Thomas, to carry on the same business at the old stand—afterward changed to 109 Pearl street, but same shop. The sons went into business in 1801.
Thomas Hammersley left a son Andrew, and a daughter who married the Rev. A. Verren, the rector of the French Episcopal church in Franklin street.
The son of L. C. married a Miss Mason. The descendants of the worthy old iron man do not do any business. They have plenty of money, and are considered at the top of the local aristocracy, have a coat of arms on their carriage, &c. Thomas Hammersley lived a long time at No. 97 Greenwich street.
There are untold lots of French people who came here from St. Domingo to escape the negroes. They were lucky if they saved their lives, let alone money. Hundreds owe their lives to a noble-hearted merchant named McIntosh. He stayed all through the massacres, and spent all he was worth, $250,000, in rescuing and redeeming with money the lives of those condemned to death and crucifixion by the negroes. Sometimes 200 to 300 a day were killed. When McIntosh visited this country in 1810, he was received like a king, by those he had rescued, in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. He was an American merchant. He was, however, a Scotchman by birth.
The French Government made Hayti pay for all the property destroyed. By treaty Hayti agreed to pay 60,000,000 in sixty years, in sums of one million annually. This was paid faithfully up to 1850. Then Hayti became utterly impoverished. She owed 12,000,000 on this debt. She was left off for twelve years. In 1862 the balance is to be paid.
There are many French families here who have received their installments regularly, as compensation awarded by the French Commissioners, and who will receive their proportion of the 12,000,000 still due.