Derry in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
Escaped! Freedom Seekers in 1804
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, July 2, 2023
1. Escaped! Freedom Seekers in 1804 Marker
Although written documentation is scarce, Magnolia Plantation is associated with an escape by enslaved Africans during an 1804 Insurrection from Riviθre aux Cannes (Cane River), where at least 30 enslaved people, including six men, one woman and her two-year-old child, left the plantations of Maria Dupre, Alexis Cloutier, Emmanuel Derbanne, Ambroise LeComte, and Louis Derbanne. These freedom seekers crossed LeComte's Magnolia Plantation land on the way to Los Adaes and sought freedom in Spanish Texas near Nacogdoches around the Attoyac River.
Natchitoches residents traveled to Nacogdoches to request the return of the freedom seekers. A scouting party found them and despite being heavily armed, the freedom seekers turned. themselves in without a confrontation. One possibility is that they did not want to risk losing their lives; another is that Spanish soldiers persuaded them to surrender.
The freedom seekers were returned to Alexis Cloutier and the group left for Natchitoches, where they were interrogated by officials. They explained that they left because Spanish men had promised them freedom. The freedom
this page online
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the Network to Freedom series list.
Location. 31° 32.949′ N, 92° 56.406′ W. Marker is in Derry, Louisiana, in Natchitoches Parish. It can be reached from Louisiana Route 119 one mile north of Highway 1, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1111 LA-119, Cloutierville LA 71416, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Louisiana. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, July 2, 2023
2. Escaped! Freedom Seekers in 1804 Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Escaped! Freedom Seekers in 1863 (here, next to this marker); Gardens and Porches (within shouting distance of this marker); Unearthing The Past (within shouting distance of this marker); The Tornado (within shouting distance of this marker); The Quarters Community (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Plantation Landscape (about 400 feet away); Magnolia Plantation (about 500 feet away); A River Runs Through It (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Derry.
More about this marker. Marker is located on furthest southeast "Quarters" cabin front porch area.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 8, 2023, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 311 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 8, 2023, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.
