Pierre Derbigny

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Pierre Derbigny

6th Governor of Louisiana
In office 1828 – 1829
Lieutenant(s)	none
Preceded by	Henry S. Johnson
Succeeded by	Armand Beauvais

Born	1769 Laon, France
Died	October 6, 1829 Gretna, Louisiana
Political party	Whig
Spouse	Felicité Odile de Hault de Lassus
Religion	Catholic

Pierre Augustin Charles Bourguignon Derbigny (1769-1829) was Governor of Louisiana. Born in 1769, at Laon near Lille, France, the eldest son of Augustin Bourguignon d'Herbigny who was President of the Directoire de l'Ainse and Mayor of Laon, and Louise Angelique Blondela.

Derbigny studied law at Ste. Genevieve but fled France in 1791 during the French Revolution. He arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and married Felicité Odile de Hault de Lassus with whom he would have five daughters and two sons.

He arrived in New Orleans, then a French colony, in 1797 and by 1803 had been appointed Secretary of the Legislative Council. After the United States' annexation of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Derbigny was one of the representatives of the new Americans in Washington seeking self-government for the Orleans Territory. His oration of July 4, 1804 also urges for the reopening of the slave trade.

As the territory was integrated into the United States, Derbigny opposed British common law in Louisiana and defended the retention of civil law practices established during the French and Spanish colonial colonial periods. He also lead a movement to establish the College of Orleans and served as Regent. In 1812, he was selected as Secretary of the Territorial Senate. He also served in Captain Chauveneau's Company of Calvalry in the Louisiana Militia.

From 1814-1820, Derbigny served as a Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. He was one of the principle drafters of the 1825 Civil Code of Louisiana, along with Edward Livingston, François Xavier Martin and Louis Moreau de Liset.

In 1821, Derbigny resigned from the Supreme Court to run unsuccessfully for Governor against Jean N. Destréhan, Abner Duncan and Thomas B. Robertson. Despite his loss to Robertson, Derbigny was appointed Secretary of State of Louisiana and served from 1821-1828.

In 1828, he ran for Governor again and this time defeated Thomas Butler, his former supporter Bernard de Marigny and Congressman Philemon Thomas. The state Legislature confirmed his election over these 3 opponents. Derbigny was affiliated with the nascent National Republican Party, an anti-Jackson group.

In Derbigny's Inauguration speech, he urged internal improvements which the legislature supported including: incorporation of a gas light company for New Orleans, several navigation companies for New Orleans and important bayous in the state, and the construction and repair of levees. On October 6, 1829, after 10 months in office, Governor Derbigny was thrown from a carriage on the West Bank of the Mississippi and died three days later in Gretna. Governor Derbigny is buried in St. Louis Number 1 Cemetery in New Orleans.

[edit] Sources

Louisiana Secretary of State Encyclopedia Louisiana

Political offices
Preceded by Etienne Mazureau	Louisiana Secretary of State 1821–1828	Succeeded by George Waggaman
Preceded by Henry S. Johnson (D-R)	Governor of Louisiana Pierre Derbigny (NR) 1828–1829	Succeeded by Armand Beauvais (W)

Governors of Louisiana

First Period of Statehood (1812-1861): Claiborne • Villeré • Robertson • Thibodaux • H. Johnson • Derbigny • Beauvais • Dupre • Roman • White • Roman • Mouton • I. Johnson • Walker • Hébert • Wickliffe • Moore

Confederate Louisiana (1861-1865): Moore • H. Allen Union-Controlled Louisiana (1862-1865): Shepley • Hahn Reconstruction Era (1865-1868): Wells • Flanders • Baker