Evergreen Plantation

11/11/2021

Meet Bélizaire. He was sold to Lezin Becnel and brought to Evergreen Plantation in 1856. He is the only person enslaved at Evergreen whose image we have. Look in his eyes. Say his name. Bélizaire. His story is finally being told.

What’s wrong with this picture? In an 1837 painting, a Black teenager stands beside a trio of White children. A recent historical discovery tells us that the young New Orleanian

08/27/2021

William was born in Virginia around 1836. He was present in plantation inventories beginning in 1846 and was described as an “American mulatto.” William’s skills were critical to the plantation’s success. In 1857, he was the sugar maker, in charge of overseeing the process of refining sugar. Inventories, census records, newspaper accounts, and court documents list his surname as Boone, Boles, Bowles, Bord, and Bold. It is likely that French Creoles who were writing William’s Anglo-American name were unfamiliar with it and therefore spelled it phonetically. Because it was illegal for William to learn to read and write, he could not provide an accurate spelling of his surname.

His wife Isabelle, an “American negro” born around 1833, was a laundress. She was brought to Evergreen Plantation in 1854. On January 13 of that year, Lezin Becnel purchased Isabelle from Delphine Marmillion Dufilho. He paid $1000 for her, which would be the equivalent of approximately $32,000 today. Delphine Marmillion Dufilho was the sister of Lezin Becnel’s stepfather, Valsin Marmillion, Because of the frequent intermarriage of members of the Haydel, Becnel, and Marmillion families, Delphine was also Lezin’s great aunt Françoise Haydel Marmillion’s daughter. Françoise and her sister Magdelaine (Lezin’s grandmother) were the daughters of Evergreen Plantation’s founder, Christophe Heidel.

After the Civil War, William and Isabelle continued to live and work at Evergreen Plantation. In 1875, William ran into trouble with another worker and occupant of the Evergreen quarters. Samuel Holmes, a native of Maryland, a formerly enslaved man around twenty years older than William, threatened him with violence and even tried to get him in trouble with the law. Sam’s reasons for targeting William remain unknown; perhaps he held a grudge against the younger man, had gotten into an argument with him about a personal matter, or had had a conflict at work with him. Sam repeatedly assaulted William and threatened his life. William went before the court in St. John the Baptist parish and told them that he “verily believe[d] that unless the said Sam Holmes [was] restrained by law, that he [would] assault and further disturb the peace of deponent.” He wanted Sam arrested and gave the names of witnesses who would testify on his behalf: Richard Gordon, Sam Dangerfield, and Ned Edwards. They were formerly enslaved men from Evergreen Plantation who continued to live and work there.

Sam Holmes struck back, telling the district attorney that William had assaulted him with force and threatened to shoot him in April and giving his own witness list. The following men were living in the Evergreen quarters at the time: Jackson, Nelson Wolkis, Hyme Brown, Celestin, and Old Frank. The district attorney found no merit in the charge and dismissed the case. However, William had been implicated in another crime and came before the court charged with larceny based on the affidavit of Sam Holmes. The local newspaper reported on the case. William was accused of stealing corn from M.A. Becnel, the owner of Evergreen Plantation. The DA obtained a verdict of acquittal from the jury because, according to Le Meschacebe, “The evidence disclosed that William Bold had been the victim of a foul conspiracy at the hands of Sam Holmes. Although the corn was found in the cornhouse of William Bold, the investigation disclosed that an aperture from the garden of Holmes into the cornhouse of the accused had been effected and the corn shoved in through a crack. The evidence pointed directly to Holmes.”

Sam Holmes was found guilty of larceny. On June 5, 1875, he was sentenced to sixty days in the parish jail. A visitor to the jail on July 10, 1875 found ten occupants, including Sam. He noted, “Sam Holmes serving a two months sentence is sad and dejected; the pleasures of prison life are sadly marred by the thought of soon being cast upon the world of trouble and contention.” Despite the time spent in jail, Sam continued his vendetta against William after his release.

The following article appeared in Le Meschacebe on September 4, 1875:

“That chronic pugilistic bruiser and public nuisance Sam Holmes, whose name for the last six years has graced the criminal records of Justices, Parish and District Courts, in almost every character of crime, from malicious mischief to assault and battery with intent to kill, is up again from before Justice Kinnard’s court on an affidavit of William Bold under the veritable charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. It will be remembered that Sam was convicted before a jury at the May term, for larceny, and sentenced to sixty days in parish jail. On the 29th of July he was released by expiration of his term of sentence, and is again on the rampage as an irrepressible fighter. Can’t Courts of Juries put a stop to this wild career?”

Five years later, when the 1880 census was taken, Sam Holmes was still living at Evergreen. He was now seventy years old, unmarried, and working as a laborer. William and Isabelle were also living on the plantation. Due to the destruction of the 1890 census records, the date of William’s death remains uncertain. He was not present on the plantation in 1900, indicating that he likely died between 1880 and 1900.

08/09/2021

Ben Johnson was born into slavery around 1817. He was a Virginia native but spend most of his life in Louisiana. When he was in his early twenties, he was sold south through the domestic slave trade. Lezin and Josephine Becnel purchased Ben with the intention of using his labor in domestic service. Ben first appears in records in the 1842 inventory made after the death of Josephine Becnel. He was recorded as being 25 years old and appraised at $800, approximately $26,000 today.

Ben was the coachman and groom at Evergreen Plantation. He drove the Becnels in their carriage and tended to the horses. It is likely that he wore livery, a uniform slave owners required their coachmen to wear to show elevated status and emphasize their wealth. Enslaved people on Louisiana plantations referred to themselves as “field” workers or “yard” workers. On the eve of the Civil War, Ben was in his mid-forties and still in “yard,” tending to the horses and carriage near the big house. Lezin Becnel II had died, and just the like the house, the plantation mules, and the land, he had been passed down to Lezin and Michel, Lezin Becnel II’s sons. The same document that recorded all of the property on the plantation---the carriages, horses, mules, tools, equipment, and buildings---also included Ben, a stark reminder of the fact that although he was a human being he was considered property under the law.

After the Civil War, when many formerly enslaved workers chose to seek opportunities elsewhere, Ben remained at Evergreen. He lived in the domestic quarters near the big house and continued to work as a coachman for Michel Becnel, the surviving heir to the plantation. According to the 1870 census, Ben had saved up $100 in cash. He was among the list of men who were eligible to serve on a jury, a right of citizenship he had not been entitled to while enslaved. Ben Johnson died at Evergreen on November 7, 1873. His body was brought to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and the priest said a funeral Mass for him. He was buried in the cemetery there, far away from the family and friends he had been forced to leave behind in Virginia forty years before.

Image: The livery coat of an enslaved man, similar to what have been worn by Ben Johnson. Courtesy of the Historic New Orleans Collection.

06/14/2021

Happy Flag Day!

This is the flag of the 80th United States Colored Infantry during the Civil War. Many enslaved men from Evergreen Plantation enlisted in this regiment. They served under this flag from 1864 until 1867, fighting for their freedom and freedom for their families. After the war the flag was in the possession of Cyrus Hamlin, colonel of the regiment. Hamlin remained in New Orleans after the war and died of yellow fever. He was first interred in Girod Street Cemetery. Later he was disinterred and buried at his family cemetery. His belongings were sent back to his home in Bangor, Maine.

06/02/2021

During the nineteenth century, Evergreen Plantation was like a small village. In many ways, it strove to be self- sufficient. It’s important to acknowledge the men and women who kept Evergreen Plantation running, both free and enslaved. Obviously the involuntary contributions of the enslaved deserve particular attention.

There remains to this day a misconception about slave labor on plantations. Many people think only of field hands and unskilled workers. Certainly they were the backbone of the enterprise. The cultivation of sugar was the main reason the plantation existed. Enslaved laborers who planted, hoed, weeded, dug irrigation, and ultimately harvested the cane were subject to grueling conditions and put in countless hours of work for which they received no compensation.

However, it is also important to recognize that many enslaved workers were highly skilled. Without them, the plantation could not have functioned.

The following is a snapshot of Evergreen Plantation in 1857. Lezin Becnel II, the owner, had died, and his sons Lezin III and Michel Alcide Becnel were his sole heirs. However, their father left the plantation under the management of his factor and agent, Benjamin Toledano. Though the plantation belonged to the Becnel Brothers, Toledano made the ultimate business decisions about the place. This was in large part due to the massive debt of $100,000 that the brothers inherited with the plantation. This is equivalent to approximately $3 million today. Sugar planters frequently incurred major debts due to the highly mechanized nature of the industry, the advances that were needed to begin the new year’s crop, and the failure of a harvest due to frost, hurricane, or flood.

Visit our website to learn about the essential roles at Evergreen Plantation. Discover the identities of the highly skilled men and women who performed important work without receiving compensation. By saying their names and understanding their work, we acknowledge their skills and significance.

During the nineteenth century, Evergreen Plantation was like a small village. In many ways, it strove to be self- sufficient. It’s important to acknowledge the men and women who kept Evergreen Plantation running, both free and enslaved. Obviously the involuntary contributions of the enslaved deser...

04/16/2021

Part III of Phelonise Haydel's story.

In her old age, Phelonise was destitute and relied entirely upon her adopted daughter and grand nephews for support. She turned to the United States government for help, applying for a widow's pension for her late husband's service during the Battle of New Orleans. American bureaucrats lack of knowledge about Creole culture and the French language threatened to keep Phelonise from receiving the pension she was entitled to under law. Meanwhile some of her family members were making life-changing decisions about their identities.

Visit our website to learn whether her pension application was ever approved and to learn the fate of her adopted daughter Philomene and her sons.

It makes more sense to read Phelonise's story in chronological order. See links in the comments to read Part I and Part II.

Phelonise Haydel’s Creole heritage had always been a defining factor of her life. This was particularly true in her old age. By the time she was in her seventies, she was entirely reliant upon the charity of her adopted daughter Philomene and her grand nephews. She had no other means of supporting...

04/06/2021

Part II of Phelonise Haydel's story.

Phelonise raised her grandniece Philomene as her daughter. When Philomene was eighteen years old, she married John Lorenzo, son of an Italian fruit merchant and a free woman of color. He was a violent, abusive husband and terrorized both his wife and mother-in-law. Phelonise and Philomene remained loyal to each other in the midst of desperate circumstances. Their strong bond carried them through violence and suffering. Ultimately Philomene took John Lorenzo to court and sued for a divorce. Click to read the full story on our website to find out if Philomene achieved independence from Lorenzo and maintained custody of her children.

If you haven't read Part I of this series, see https://www.evergreenplantation.org/evergreen-blog/2021/3/8/phelonise-haydel-dangluse-part-i-1800-1850

It makes more sense to read the story in chronological order.
https://www.evergreenplantation.org/evergreen-blog/2021/4/6/phelonise-haydel-dangluse-part-ii-1850-1870

The next decade held great challenges and struggles for Phelonise Haydel Dangluse and the grandniece she had adopted. Phelonise and Philomene remained loyal to each other in the midst of desperate circumstances. Their strong bond carried them through violence and suffering. Mother and daughter’s r...

04/03/2021

Easter Sunday in 1860 fell on April 8. On that day Lezin Becnel III brought four enslaved people to Mass to be baptized and received into the Catholic Church. His family had helped found St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edgard, just a few miles downriver from Evergreen Plantation. This church was where multiple generations of Lezin’s family, both black and white, as well as the enslaved workers he considered his property, were baptized and buried. It was the center of life in the rural Creole community.

We have many stories to tell about the people who shaped the history of Evergreen Plantation. Hundreds and hundreds of stories. Today we highlight the stories that have no proper beginning and ending, that are merely names on a page. For every biographical essay we can write, there are dozens of individuals who remain just a name in a document, seen once and lost to time. This is one example.

Enslaved Individuals Baptized in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on Easter Sunday 1860:

Marie Rose, age 28 years, godfather Gilbert, godmother Rose

Pauline, age 25 years, daughter of Celina, godfather Robert, godmother Angelique

Victor, age 27 years, godfather Toussaint, godmother Josephine

Eugene, age 25 years, godfather Polin, godmother Josephine

We have no origin stories for Marie Rose, Pauline, Victor, and Eugene. We don’t know where they came from, if they were born on the plantation, born on a neighboring plantation and purchased, or bought at the slave market in New Orleans. Their names do not appear on any inventories before or after their baptisms. We have no sale documents for them. We don’t know where they went after the Civil War, if they stayed or left, or when they died.

These baptismal records are the only evidence we have that they existed, the only written trace left behind.

For every Catherine, whose story needs multiple posts from an extensive essay, there are dozens of Marie Roses and Paulines. For every Ned Edwards, whose life can be traced all the way to present-day descendants, there are scores of Victors and Eugenes.

This Easter, remember the hundreds of individuals who lived, loved, and died, who are now just fragments, letters on a page. They were so much more than just one document. Their lives were as full and robust as any of ours. They had stories, too; stories we may never know.

Easter 1860 was significant. One year later, the nation would be at war, a conflict that would ultimately result in freedom for Marie Rose, Pauline, Victor, and Eugene. We may never known their stories, but we can all hope they lived to see freedom.

Easter Sunday in 1860 fell on April 8. On that day Lezin Becnel III brought four enslaved people to Mass to be baptized and received into the Catholic Church. His family had helped found St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edgard, just a few miles downriver from Evergreen Plantation. This church

03/22/2021

Pierre Aime Becnel's declaration to emancipate Macré, age 75, and his wife Marie Josephe, age 70, written in both French and English and posted at the parish church and courthouse. February 1833

03/22/2021

Do you remember Macré and Marie Joseph? Almost a year ago, we highlighted the lives of these survivors of the Middle Passage. Thanks to ongoing research, our historian discovered their emancipation papers. Now their story is more complete. It also sheds light on the process of emancipating the enslaved in Louisiana in the 1830s. Check out the updated story on our website.

Marie Joseph and her husband Macré survived the Middle Passage and were brought to Louisiana in the late eighteenth century. Marie Joseph, born around 1760, was of the Mina nation. Macré came from Senegal. They were purchased by Pierre Becnel and brought to St. John the Baptist parish. When Becn

03/17/2021

Our research is always ongoing at Evergreen. Recently an important new find led to an update of one of our biographies in the Ancestor Project. Ned Edwards and his family were connected to the plantation for generations. Now we can definitively say when he was first brought here. Our historian discovered the 1852 bill of sale in which Ned was sold by Thomas Boudar to Lezin Becnel. This is one more piece of the puzzle. Every day we uncover new information and always look forward to sharing it, especially with descendants.

Ned was sold away from his family, friends, and home and was forced to board the ship Cyane in Richmond, Virginia, on November 18, 1851. He was headed south to New Orleans along with 120 other enslaved individuals on board. By December, he was locked in a slave jail in the largest slave market in th...

03/08/2021

In honor of International Women’s Day, we remember Phelonise Haydel Dangluse.

She was born at Evergreen Plantation around 1800. Her family was both enslaved and free. On her father’s side, she was related to the woman who owned her. Her mother’s family line were among the first individuals to be enslaved on the plantation. When she was 34 years old, she was freed and chose to move to New Orleans, where she married a veteran of the Battle of New Orleans. Phelonise purchased the freedom of her grand-niece and raised her as her own daughter. After the death of her husband, she owned property. Her life spans most of the nineteenth century and contains so many experiences unique to Creole Louisiana.

Phelonise’s remarkable story deserves to be told. Her strength, adaptability, endurance, determination, and love of family make her the perfect woman to highlight on this special day.

Today we post Part I of her story. There will be three parts in all, releasing during the course of Women’s History Month.

Please click on the link and read her full story on the Blog on our website.

Phelonise was born into slavery around the year 1800 at Evergreen Plantation. Her mother, Jacinte, was one of the first people enslaved on the plantation. Jacinte had also been born on there and baptized at the nearby Catholic Church in 1780. She and her mother Marianne were the property of Christop