My 2nd great-grandfather

If you have men that only know if there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no good road at all.
David Livingstone

Pierre Constant Mathey was born March 4, 1819 at 4:oo p.m. to Jean Baptiste Mathey and his wife Marie Magdeleine Quenet. Jean Baptiste was a Swiss border guard in the town of Dampierre, France along the Doubs River. This was only about twenty years after the French Revolution and only four year after the final exile of Napolean. France was still in recovery of the previous turmoil. I have a certified copy of Pierre's birth certificate, dated October 10, 1824.

I also have an original certificate dated March 18, 1846. At this time, he lived in Paris. All men were required to serve in the army. However, in lieu of service, he could participate in a lottery. If chosen, he would be allowed to emigrate to the United States. Pierre had a lottery number ninety-eight, which permitted him to depart.

According to his original passport, dated March 20, 1946, he was about five feet, five inches tall with dark brown hair and blue-grey eyes. He had a high forhead and an ordinary nose, round chin with and oval face and he was olive-complected. He was bound for New Orleans.

From the time of his arrival in New Orleans until his arrival in Abbeville, Louisiana, nothing is known. I do have questions, though. Did he have siblings? If so, how many and did they stay in France or did they come to America? If so, where did they go? The only information available to me are the land grants that he purchased, of which I am in possession.

One of the land grants, signed by James Buchannan, originally granted to Alexander Hollinger, as payment for his military service in the War of 1812. Circumstances for acquisition of this property on the Vermilion River in Abbeville are unknown. It is here that the property was cleared, his home was built and the land was farmed. I am in possession of this document as well.

So, the word of the day "rusticate" (to go into or to reside in the country) was the impetus for this journal entry.