Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/674

668 LOUIS D'OR LOUISIANA stone walls of old Louisburg." In England the news was received with bonfires and illumina- tions in London and other cities ; and such was the impression made by the exploit, that it was considered an equivalent for all the successes of the French upon the continent, and the first lord of the admiralty declared that " if France were master of Portsmouth he would hang the man who should give Cape Breton in ex- change." Nevertheless, by the peace of Aix- la-Chapelle in 1748, Louisburg was restored to France. In 175 7, during the seven years' war, the earl of London, British commander- in-chief in North America, collected at Hali- fax a force of 6,000 regulars, 4,000 provincial troops from New England, and large numbers from New York and New Jersey, with which to make an immediate attack on the fortress ; but on learning that the garrison consisted of 6,000 regular soldiers, and that 17 French line-of- battle ships were moored in the harbor, he abandoned the project. A second expedition under Gen. Amherst, consisting of 14,000 men and a fleet of 20 ships of the line and 18 frig- ates, sailed from Halifax, May 28, 175$, against Louisburg, which was defended by the cheva- lier de Drucourt with 3,100 men. The har- bor being secured against attack by a fleet of eight ships, and the entrance blocked by three sunken frigates, a landing was effected at the creek of Cormoran, June 8, and Gen. Wolfe, who afterward took Quebec, advanced with 2,000 men against a detached post, which was abandoned at his approach. Strong batteries were erected here, and also on the opposite side of the town, and a heavy cannonade direct- ed against the town and the shipping in the harbor. Three of the large men-of-war were at length set on fire by bombs, and two others captured by boats. Breaches were made in the walls, and after a gallant defence the garrison surrendered, July 26, and, together with sailors and marines, amounting collectively to 5,637 men, were carried prisoners to England. The town was almost a heap of ruins. The inhab- itants were transported to France in English ships, and the fortifications were demolished. LOUIS D'OR, a French gold coin, first struck under Louis XIII. in 1641. It has fluctuated in value, but subsequent to 1785 was coined at the rate of 36 to the mark of gold 22 carats fine, having an intrinsic value of about 20s. sterling ($4 86). These ceased to be legal coins in France as early as 1726, but they still circu- lated in Germany and Switzerland. Upon the return of the Bourbons in 1814 coins struck by Louis XVIII. in imitation of the napoleons were called louis, or louis d'or ; and this name is sometimes given to the same coin struck by Louis Philippe. LOUISIANA, one of the gulf states of the American Union, and the fifth admitted under the federal constitution, situated between lat. 28 59' and 33 N., and Ion. 88 40' and 94 10' W. ; extreme length E. and W. about 800 m., extreme width N. and S. 240; area, 41,346 sq. m. It is bounded N. by Arkansas (on the parallel of 33) and Mississippi (on the paral- lel of 31); E. by the gulf of Mexico and Mississippi, from which above lat. 31 it is separated by the Mississippi river, and below that parallel by Pearl river ; S. by the gulf of State Seal of Louisiana. Mexico ; and "W. by Texas, from which through the southern two thirds of the line it is sepa- rated by the Sabine river and lake. Louisiana is divided into 57 parishes (corresponding to the counties of other states), viz. : Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Cad- do, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Carroll, Ca- tahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Laf ourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, More- house, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Pla- quemines, Pointe Couple, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Ver- milion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, Winn. There are seven incorporated cities, viz. : New Orleans (pop. in 1870, 191,418), the capital and com- mercial centre of the state, on the Mississip- pi, about 100 m. from the sea; Baton Rouge (pop. 6,498), the former capital, on theE. bank, 129 m. above New Orleans ; Shreveport (pop. 4,607), on the Red river, in the N. W. part of the state ; Carrollton and Kenner, near New Orleans ; Monroe, on the Washita, in the N. part of the state ; and Natchitoches, on the Red river, below Shreveport. Abbeville, Alexan- dria, Bastrop, Brashear City, Clinton, Coving- ton, Delhi, Donaldsonville, Franklin, Houma, Jackson, Mandeville, Mansfield, Minden, New Iberia, Opelousas, Plaquemines, St. Martins- ville, Thibodeaux, Vermilionville, and Wash- ington are towns having each more than 500 inhabitants. The population of the state in 1810 and at subsequent decennial periods was as follows :