Gayarre, Charles

Submitted by Mike Miller

Charles Gayarre, grandson of Don Estevan Gayarre who came to Louisiana in 1766 with the Spanish governor Ulloa, was born at New Orleans, January 3, 1805. His grandmother, in the female line, was a daughter of Destuhan, and his maternal grandfather was the distinguished and useful citizen, Etienne Bore', who was mayor of the city in 1803. Charles Gayarre was educated in his native city, at the College of New Orleans. He went to Philadelphia in 1826, studied law under William Rawle, and in 1829 was admitted to the bar. In 1830 he returned to New Orleans and wrote an historical essay, in the French language, which won attention. He it was who, while a member of the state legislature, wrote the congratulatory address of that body to the French people on their revolution of 1820. In 1831 he, was appointed attorney-general, and in 1833 judge of the city court. In 1835 he was elected United States senator, the whigs aiding him, though he was a democrat. The state of his health prevented him taking his seat and compelled him to seek rest in France, where he remained until 1843. On his return he was elected a member of the legislature. In 1846 he was chosen secretary of state and served until 1853. His history of Louisiana, in two volumes, and his "Romance of Louisiana," are standard works; while his contributions to magazines rank him with the first writers of his time.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 482. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.