AS I WANDERED #35 d’AUTREMONT

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Angelica NY, Chenango County NY, d'Autremont, France, French Revolution, Madame d'Autremont, Reward in Gold, Tallyrand, The French Asylum, Train Robery

She first came to the wilderness of New York.

After four years it was enough.

Then she went to an asylum in Pennsylvania; a political asylum.

And finally, back to New York; however, this time, in a genteel society.

That is the whole story of Madame d’Autremont; well – – – almost all of the story.

There was trouble in France in the 1790’s. Madame d’Autremont  was part of the royal court.

She decided, along with several other families, to purchase land in the new United States. Several thousand acres were purchased in the County of Chenango, New York. A road was cut and a village of sorts established. However the life was a little rough for these effete.

An escape from the hell of the wilderness appeared.

Another group from France had established an asylum, supposedly for the Queen of France, for a place to escape from the revolution.

Madame d’Autremont and her cohorts in Chenango county bought a few boats, followed the current of the Chenango River to where it met with the Susquehanna River in the new village of Binghamton.

From there they, once again, followed the current downstream. They passed Tioga Point where the river turned southward to Towanda. A few miles farther and they were relieved to reach the asylum.

Due to a series of legal and human disasters Madame d’Autremont lost her thousands of acres in Chenango County.

At “Asylum” they stayed for a period of time. The French Diplomat Talleyrand traveled to the asylum and met with Madame d’Autremont and her sons.

Talleyrand took Louis Paul d’Autremont back to France with him. That son was able to reclaim his mother’s land in Chenango county.

Madame d’Autremont sold that land and repaired to Angelica, New York were she and her sister lived out their lives.

I hope that was the end of the story but recently I am beginning to wonder.

OK, OK. It is another railroad story. So sue me.

©W. Tomosky♠

JOHN BESSAC: FUR TRADER, FATHER AND FRIEND OF THE HOMELESS

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Anah Nichols-Bessac, Betsey N Bessac, Canada, Canadian Indians, Catherine Bessac, Ephriam Nichols, Ester Peet, Francis OReille, French Refugees, French Revolution, Harriett Bessac, Henry William Bessac, Hudson NY, Jean Bessac, Joann Frances Bessac, John Bessac, John William Bessac, Louis Bessac, Niagara, trading, William John Bessac

John Bessac was a resident of Hudson, New York, in 1788. His business was drastically downsized. Monetarily, John was far removed from where he had been as a middleman between France and the United States. Much money was owed to him but due to the cost of the war quite a large number of the indebted no longer had the money to pay. Others, who had supported the British, fled the United States and settled in Canada.

John was beginning to carve out a comfortable living by trading with the French speaking natives of Lower Canada and the Indian tribes of the North and West who also spoke French. He would load a wagon with light-weight articles and travel north into Canada. From there he would travel west to Niagara.

By then his light-weight articles would have been sold or bartered. His wagon-load, during each trading session, would slowly have changed to furs purchased from French trappers and Indians. The notes and currency he received always paid for the venture and the valuable furs were clear profit.

This circuit trading continued on for three years.

John Bessac eventually had enough money to open a business in Hudson and remained there until 1809. During that time he enjoyed the comforts of home and his growing family.

There were eight children in all. They stayed close to him and his excellent wife Anah. John’s example of culture and intellectual pursuits were not wasted on his sons. They were frugal, honest and industrious. The daughters, likewise, followed the example of their mother who maintained a home of happiness and hospitality.

FROM FAMILYSEARCH.ORG

The Bessac home during that time was open to the poor penniless French refugees and travelers who had no home. The French Revolution had treated no one well.

It did not matter how ragged and destitute the refugees appeared to be. John and Anah always welcomed them into their home for a meal and a place to stay. Quite often a new set of clothing was obtained for the wanderer.

Few, if any, communications from his home country of France were received; other than a letter or two from his old friend Barte. Barte gave good account of his own activities but always ended in a warning for John to stay in the United States.

The Kingdom of France was being threatened by the National Assembly.

Letters from John to his brothers Baptiste and Bertrand were sparse.

During this period John never mentioned his wife or children.