HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 95 One M. Chisholm holds tlu-ee places; he lives on one he has just commenced' to clear ; a second is in litigation, and for over four years he has done nothing on a third near the village — has he not enough with two? Why hold land uselessly, and above all near the village? The examination you will give the census, and the information concerning the property of each head of a family w'ill lead you pi-ob- ably to other reflections. I append to the whole a new maj) of the village and its en- virons, as taken after the last abrasion of land by the Mississippi; this work claims your indulgence ; it is not that of an artist, but one of the most zealous subjects of his majesty ; and the only merit it may possess is to demonstrate to you with correctness the number of places that have been conceded in tlie village, the houses that are built thereon, and the names of the proprietors on the gen- eral list which correspond with the same numbers as those placed on each conceded place. I pray you to believe me, with profound respect, sir, the commandant, Your very affectionate and devoted ser- vant,* New Madrid, December 31, 1796. Pierre Antoine LaForge. De Lassus remained as commandant at New Madrid until the spring of 1799 when he was transferred to St. Louis and became the lieutenant governor of Upper Louisiana. De Lassus was, perhaps, the most popular official ever in command at New Madrid, as he was, indeed, one of the most popular in all Louisiana. He was succeeded by Don Henri Peyroux who was transferred to the post from Ste. Genevieve. Peyroux landed
- ' ' History of Southeast Missouri, ' ' p. 140.
in New Madrid in August, 1799, and was in command four years. He then resigned and returned to France. John Lavalle succeeded Peyroux as com- mandant of the post and held the place un- til the transfer to the United States in March, 1804. The emigrants who came to New ^Madrid with Colonel ilorgan were mainly from Maryland and Pennsylvania. Among them were David Gray, Alex Samson, Joseph Story, Richard Jones Waters, John Hemp- hill, Elisha Windsor, Andrew Wilson. Sam- uel Dorsay, Benjamin HarrLson, Jacob and Benjamin Meyers, William Chambers, Elisha Jackson, Ephraim Conner, John Hart, James Dunn, Lawi-ence Harrison, John Gregg, Nicholas and James Gerry, John Wal- lace, John Becket, John Summers, Louis and Joseph Vandenbeuden, Joseph McCourtney, John Pritchett and David Shelby. As we have seen the earliest French set- tlers were the two LeSieurs, Francois and Joseph. They were not only the fir.st, but perhaps the most influential of all. Many of their descendants are still to be found in New Madrid county. These two were the sons of Charles LeSieur a native of the south of France who had emigrated to Three Rivers in Canada. Francois and Joseph came to St. Louis in 1785 and entered the employ of Gabriel Cerre who was a fur trader. It was in his interest that they visited the place where the town of New Madrid was after- ward located. Joseph died in 1796 and left no children. Francois married on ilay IM, 1791, Cecile Guilbequet, a native of Vincen- nes. In 1794 they removed to Little Prairie, remaining there until the earthquakes of 1811 and '12 when they returned to New Ma- drid county and made their home at Point
