Denis, Henry

Submitted by Mike Miller

Denis, Henry, distinguished lawyer and citizen, was born in New Orleans, Jan. 12, 1828. His father was Henry Raphael Denis and his mother bore the maiden name of Aimée Derbigny. She was a daughter of Pierre Derbigny, the fifth governor of the state of Louisiana, who was born at Laon, France in 1767, and his family belonged to the French nobility. Henry Raphael Denis was born at St. Germainen, Laye, in France, and came to New Orleans when a young man. He made Louisiana the country of adoption, and settled in New Orleans, where he became a lawyer of distinction in the early part of the 19th century. He left three sons: Arthur Denis, once a planter of large possessions and advanced views in relation to agriculture; Henry Denis, the subject of this personal sketch, and Jules C. Denis, prominent in his days in banking and commercial affairs. Henry Denis followed the profession of his father and maternal grandfather, that of the law, which he practiced more than 50 years. His early education was obtained in private schools of Paris, France, and of New Orleans, and the study of law he began in his father's office. In the year 1850 Mr. Denis graduated from the law school of the University of Louisiana, which was subsequently incorporated in the Tulane university of Louisiana, and in which many years later he became professor of Civil law. In 1851 Mr. Denis, having just recently been admitted to the bar, was offered, by agreement of the parties in an important law suit, an appointment by the court as special commissioner to proceed to the Isthmus of Panama for the purpose of taking the depositions of witnesses at Chagres and Panama. The trip was not free from dangers of different forms; the railroad on the Isthmus was not then built, the disease at Chagres and robbers in the mountains were additional difficulties to travel. But, with carelessness and courage of youth, he accepted the mission, went through safely and successfully in the performance of the task. Returning to New Orleans, he actively launched out in the practice of law and rose to the front rank of the profession. He prosecuted some cases of great importance and magnitude before the Supreme Court of Louisiana and the Supreme Court of the United States. He demanded, under the Founding Act of 1874, the conversion of the bonds of the state of Louisiana in behalf of the foreign bondholders. The State Board of Liquidation, under the chairmanship of Gov. Nicholls, made the most strenuous opposition to the demand, but the Supreme court ultimately decided the case in favor of the bondholders. In 1880 the Supreme court of Louisiana offered him the position of reporter of its decisions. He accepted the place and filled it assiduously during 15 years and then resigned it. In 1881 the chair of Civil law in Tulane university of Louisiana became vacant and was offered to Mr. Denis. This branch of the law had received most of his attention during the years previous, and he accepted the chair, and after diligently filling it for 24 years resigned the position. Mr. Denis is the author of a book on the comparative law of pledges of the Civil and Common law, which was favorable commented upon by the law reviews both in this country and in England. When the Civil war broke out Mr. Denis enlisted at the call of Gen. Beauregard, as a private in a cavalry known as Guy Dreux cavalry, which was ready and equipped and was sent to the army of Tennessee then under the command of Gen. Beauregard. On the eve of the battle of Shiloh, that company was assigned to duty as body guard of Gen. Beauregard on the battlefield. At the end of the campaign Henry Denis was detailed to Western Louisiana where he became one of the aides-de-camp of Gov. Henry W. Allen. He retained that position until the end of the war. Gov. Allen deciding then to go to Mexico, Mr. Denis accompanied him there, assisted him in the City of Mexico to found a newspaper called the Mexican Times, taking part in the editing of it until he left Mexico and returned to New Orleans at the end of Nov. 1866. Mr. Denis has been married 3 times. His first wife was Georgine Cenas, a daughter of Dr. A. H. Cenas, a prominent physician in New Orleans. Two sons were born of this marriage, Mr. Augustus and George Jules Denis. Mr. Denis married for a second wife Elise Rushton, the daughter of Dr. William Rushton, also a prominent physician of New Orleans. There was no issue of this marriage. His third wife bore the maiden name of Bella Bell, the daughter of Samuel Bell, a merchant and banker of New Orleans. Five daughters and 1 son are the issue of this marriage: Cecile, wife of Frank H. Mortimer; Alice, Bella and Louise (unmarried) ; and Anna, wife of Edward T. Shepard; and Edmond Derbigny Denis.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 510-511. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.