Author: James Edward Mitchell
Pierre George(s) Rousseau was recorded born on 3 June 1751, to a maritime family in La Tremblade province of Saintonge, France. His father, Pierre Georges Rousseau married Marie Eustelle Daniaud. Pierre George had two brothers, Pierre who died shortly following his birth in 1747 and Nicholas Pierre (1752-1824). Among his siblings were several recorded sisters, including Elizabeth Rousseau (1749- _) and Marie Anne (1754-_).

Source: Rousseau: The Last Days of Spanish New Orleans by Raymond J. Martinez published (2003) Pelican Publ. Co., Gretna, Louisiana (LA). The author, noted that researching letters and reports from the archives of Seville, and published by the American Historical Association (especially in the volume identified as Spain in the Mississippi R. Valley) produced a portrait of Pierre George Rousseau’s valuable service rendered during the brilliant and successful Spanish Pensacola Campaign with allied American agent representatives, Irish born Oliver Pollock (1737-1823) and French native, Pierre George Rousseau.

An online search of Cemetery records at Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana produced a brief narrative about our subject’s maritime father sailing to colonial American ports from (Philadelphia) Pennsylvania (PA), Charleston, South Carolina (SC) and the mouth of the Mississippi R. (1769) to New Orleans with his son, an early teen; source, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=26134181

Background: Following the (1763) Treaty of Paris the British with their navy, occupied Pensacola and Mobile after the defeat of France. Spanish Louisiana Governors –Alejandro O’Reilly and Colonel Don Luis de Unzaga (Dec 1769- Aug 1772) had before Gov. Galvez, permitted illicit trade for smuggled European goods with the British of West Florida.

[The census reflected that the population had more than doubled since Spain acquired the colony (France) in 1762 however, they did not officially take over the colony until 1766.] For the purpose of gaining strategic insight (and military intelligence) at West Florida relating to British occupational forces east of the Mississippi River at Bayou Manchac, Baton Rouge, Natchez and Mobile; Galvez ordered the Louisiana export duty be reduced to increase trade with British; source, Louisiana: A Narrative History by Edwin Adams Davis published (1960) printed by Morgan Industries, Inc., 3rd Edition Baton Rouge, Sep., 1970, see: Chapter 10 i.e., Campaigns -Baton Rouge, Bayou Manchac, Natchez, Mobile and Pensacola, pgs 109-119.

Logically, Oliver Pollock the Irish-American commercial shipping agent posted from PA to New Orleans and Havana between 1776-84 was introduced to young Pierre George Rousseau after Don Bernardo de Galvez, age 28 was ordered to Louisiana as the Colonel of the Louisiana Rgt. before being designated by King Carlos III as the 4th Spanish Governor. Gov. Galvez ordered a census be completed within Louisiana before May, 1777. Galvez immediately utilized the Louisiana militia presence to scout West Florida and to exploit commercial ties with the British. Gov. Galvez by May, 1776 bargained and approved travel by American agents -*George Gibson and William Linn down the Mississippi R. to New Orleans, where, with the aid and support of Robert Morris and American revolutionary financier, Oliver Pollock, a New Orleans merchant, they purchased ten thousand (10,000) pounds of gunpowder from the New Orleans armory. The Virginia (VA) *Cmte of Safety authorized approval and payment for travel of Gibson and Linn, wrote, Edward F. Butler in his (2014) book: GÀLVEZ: Spain – Our Forgotten Alley in the American Revolutionary War printed by Southwest Historic Press, San Antonio, TX, pgs 29, 55, 63-65 and 195.

Raymond J. Martinez’s Rousseau: The Last Days of Spanish New Orleans, see: pgs 8 – 9, above, produced a (translated, English language) letter of accommodation addressed and received by Pierre George Rousseau signed by Governor Bernardo de Galvez’s uncle, Joseph (Jośe) de Galvez a great favorite of King Carlos III of Spain, was Secretary of State and President of the Council of the Indies dated on 18 Aug 1781. The letter characterized Rousseau’s zeal, bravery and distinguished naval military conduct during the course of his royal service from the period that Gen’l. Bdo de Galvez placed Rousseau in command of the brigantine “Galvez-Town”, a part of the Spanish fleet that early 1780 –attacked Mobile, waging war as American allies against Great Britain.

After Rousseau’s official discharge from royal service with Spain at Pensacola ending British control there, he returned to New Orleans to continue his mercantile business. On 2 Sep 1783, Rousseau married (Marie Marguerite) Catherine Milhet (1767-1829) at New Orleans, within the Holy Roman Catholic Orleans Parish Archdiocese. During 1790, Marie Marguerite Catherine and Pierre George(s) Rousseau became parents to a male heir, Lawrence Rousseau, (U.S. Naval) Commodore (1790-1866) see: Find A Grave Memorial# 110222424.

Pierre George(s) Rousseau died on Aug 8, 1810 -two (2) months after his 59th birthday, see: Find A Grave Memorial# 26134181 recorded 10 Apr 2008 by Thomas Edward Jacks, Pres. Gen’l. for the Gen’l. Society of the War of 1812. Rousseau’s crypt is located near the French Quarter, aka Vieux Carré at Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1 at 400 Basin Street, New Orleans, LA; GPS Coordinates –Latitude: 29.95940 and Longitude: -90.07140. // Caveat: walk-in’s are not permitted! // Visitors may only gain access through cemetery’s locked gates accompanied by a licensed guide who has successfully applied with the Archdiocese.