Pierre Adolphe Rost
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Pierre Adolphe Rost (1797 – September 6, 1868) was a Louisiana politician, diplomat, lawyer, judge, and plantation owner.


Early life and emigration to the United States

Born in the department of Lot-et-Garonne,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in 1797, Rost received his education at the
École Polytechnique (, ; also known as Polytechnique or l'X ) is a ''grande école'' located in Palaiseau, France. It specializes in science and engineering and is a founding member of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. The school was founded in 1794 by mat ...
in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, where men were recruited into either the
civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
or
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
service. As an
artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
man, he was credited for brave conduct in the defense of
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
on March 30, 1814. Rost applied for a commission in
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's army after the Emperor's escape from
Elba Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...
, but he was too late for the
Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...
. Escaping from what he thought to be an oppressive régime, Rost emigrated to New Orleans, arriving in the spring of 1816. Then he became a teacher in
Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the only city in and the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,520 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia, Louisiana, Natchez was ...
, and studied law under
Joseph Emory Davis Joseph Emory Davis (10 December 1784 – 18 September 1870) was an American lawyer who became one of the wealthiest planters in Mississippi in the antebellum era; he owned thousands of acres of land and was among the nine men in Mississippi who o ...
, the brother of
Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...
. Next, Rost moved to
Natchitoches, Louisiana Natchitoches ( ; , ), officially the City of Natchitoches, is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. At the 2020 United States census, the city's population was ...
, where the majority of the people spoke French, a factor he was confident would bolster the success of his law practice. In 1826, he was elected to the
Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...
, where he served for four years. In 1830, Pierre Rost was nominated for
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
, but at the time of the nomination he was engaged to Louise Odile Destrehan es Tours(1802 - Feb. 24, 1877). When they decided to wed before the congressional elections, the distractions of marriage caused him to somewhat neglect his political campaign. The unfortunate result was that he was defeated by a few votes to Henry Adams Bullard. Shortly after losing his bid for Congress, near the end of 1830 he moved with his family to
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
(his wife already had one or two children from a previous marriage) and resumed practicing law. Rost continued in his law practice for the next eight years, until the summer of 1838 when he took his family on a trip to Europe to visit his mother and sisters. The Rost family returned to the U.S. in the autumn. Before death, he relocated his family to the newly formed
Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the List of cities in Missouri, 16th most popu ...


Louise Odile Destrehan and the History of Destrehan Manor

In 1830 Rost married Louise Odile Destrehan es Toursin New Orleans, becoming her second husband. On April 11, 1839 he bought Destrehan Manor (including its contingent of about 83 slaves), a plantation located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, which had been associated with the Destrehan family since 1802. Rost purchased the plantation from the executors of its previous owner Stephen Henderson (1773–1838). Henderson in turn had bought Destrehan Manor for the sum of $114,400 on March 23, 1825, not long after its prior owners had both died. Then, he went on to marry (on Oct. 19, 1826) Marie Eleonore "Zelia" Destrehan es Tours(1800–1830) who was a daughter of the prior owners and a sister of Rost's wife. The owners of Destrehan Manor prior to Stephen Henderson were Jean Noel Destrehan es Tours(Dec. 12, 1759 - Oct. 4, 1823) and his wife Marie Claudine Celeste Elenore Robin de Logny (Sept. 5, 1770 - Sept. 3, 1824). Jean Noel and his wife had owned the plantation since April 12, 1802 when Jean Noel bought it from his brother-in-law Pierre-Paul-Guy Robin de Logny (born June 29, 1764). Upon his return from a trip to
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, Rost was appointed judge of the
Supreme Court of Louisiana The Supreme Court of Louisiana (; ) is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The Supreme Court, and Lou ...
, served from March to June 1839, then resigned to engage in agricultural pursuits. He returned on March 19, 1846 when reorganization of the court was effected, serving until May 4, 1853. During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, he sided with the Confederacy. On March 16, 1861,
Confederate President The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the unrecognized breakaway Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and commander-in-chief of the Confederate Ar ...
Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...
appointed Rost,
William Lowndes Yancey William Lowndes Yancey (August 10, 1814July 27, 1863) was an American politician in the Antebellum South. As an influential "Fire-Eater", he defended slavery and urged Southerners to secede from the Union in response to Northern antislavery ...
(1814–1863) and
Ambrose Dudley Mann Ambrose Dudley Mann (April 26, 1801November 15, 1889) was the first United States Assistant Secretary of State and a commissioner for the Confederate States of America. Early life Mann was born on April 26, 1801, in Hanover Courthouse, Virginia. ...
(1801–1889) the first Confederate Commissioners to
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. Rost served as the Commissioner of the Confederate States of America for Spain. Yancey served as the Confederate Commissioner for England and France, and Mann eventually served as the Confederate Commissioner for Belgium and the Vatican. The three sailed together for Europe on March 31, 1861. Rost and Yancey were later replaced by
John Slidell John Slidell (1793July 9, 1871) was an American politician, lawyer, slaveholder, and businessman. Database at A native of New York, Slidell moved to Louisiana as a young man. He was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, U.S. House ...
(1793–1871) and
James Murray Mason James Murray Mason (November 3, 1798April 28, 1871) was an American lawyer and politician who became a Confederate diplomat. He served as U.S. Senator from Virginia for fourteen years, having previously represented Virginia's 15th congression ...
(1798–1871). Rost owned the '' Destrehan Plantation'' also known as the '' Rost Home Colony'' in
St. Charles Parish, Louisiana St. Charles Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, its population was 52,549. The parish seat is Hahnville and the most populous community is Luling. The parish was established in 1807, following t ...
which was owned by the family of his wife, Louise Odile Destréhan, from 1865 until it was seized by the
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. government agency of early post American Civil War Reconstruction, assisting freedmen (i.e., former enslaved people) in the ...
in 1866. Through that time, it was used to house a self-contained colony of freedmen, complete with a hospital, schools, colony store and police force. Rost then returned with a full pardon from
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...
and successfully demanded for the return of his property. Rost continued practicing law until he died in
New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, on September 6, 1868.


Works

*''Eulogy upon the life and character of George Eustis,: Formerly chief justice of the Supreme court of Louisiana. Pronounced at Lyceum hall, on the 31st March, 1859'' (1859)


References

*Knight, Michael F., ''The Rost Home Colony, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana'' Prologue, Vol. 33, No. 3 (Fall 2001): 214-220, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.


External links


Manuscripts Department Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Hermitage Plantation in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana Papers
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rost, Pierre Adolphe 1797 births 1868 deaths French emigrants to the United States Confederate States of America diplomats People of Louisiana in the American Civil War École Polytechnique alumni Mississippi lawyers Louisiana lawyers Louisiana state senators Justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court People pardoned by Andrew Johnson U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century Louisiana state court judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature American slave owners