The sieur de Sauvolle (1701), known for certainty only by his surname, was the first governor of
the French territory of Louisiana. He accompanied the brothers
Iberville and
Bienville on their first voyage to
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
in 1699 and their explorations inland. On May 2, 1699, he was appointed commander of the new
Fort Maurepas, and in January 1700 he became the territory's governor.
As governor, he worked to develop friendly relations with the
Biloxi
Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...
,
Pascagoula, and Mobile indigenous peoples, and oversaw construction of
Fort De La Boulaye to guard against attempts by British traders to establish a foothold on the Mississippi River.
His journal is one of the earliest sources for the history of the region. Sauvolle died suddenly, likely from
yellow fever, on August 21, 1701.
Despite the survival of his journal entries and the journals of Iberville, almost nothing is known about Sauvolle: neither his ancestry nor the year of his birth, nor even much of his name. Iberville mentions him as "M. de Sauvolle".
Statements by various historians that his first name was ''Antoine'' or ''François-Marie'', that he was the sieur de la Villantry, or that he was a brother of
Iberville and
Bienville are assertions not supported by multiple sources.
Notes
External links
* (a somewhat romanticized account)
*
Governors of Louisiana (New France)
Year of birth uncertain
1701 deaths
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