Anne Louis de Tousard papers

Table of Contents

Summary Information

Background note

Scope and content note

Administrative Information

Controlled Access Headings

Summary Information

Repository

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Creator

Tousard, Anne Louis de, 1749-1817.

Title

Anne Louis de Tousard papers

ID

0664

Date

1765-1888

Extent

0.25 Linear feet 1 box, 1 volume, 1 flat file

Author

Finding aid prepared by Leslie Hunt

Sponsor

Processing made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Language

English

Mixed materials (00006515) [Box]

1

Mixed materials (00006516) [Volume]

1

Mixed materials [Oversize]

1

Abstract

The papers of Anne Louis de Tousard relate to his service in the American army as a lieutenant colonel attached to George Washington's staff. The collection, which spans over 100 years, includes congressional citations; Tousard’s commissions, some bearing the signatures of Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette, and others; and scant original correspondence; and a volume of photostats of Tousard’s correspondence from 1718 to 1817. There are also papers from Anthony Eugene Stocker, Tousard’s grandson and an officer in the Civil War.

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Background note

Anne Louis de Tousard was born in France in 1749. He received a commission in the French Artillery Corps after studying at an artillery school, but resigned his commission to serve the colonists’ cause during the American Revolution. He soon after secured a position on General George Washington’s staff and enjoyed a successful career as an officer. He later served the French Army during the slave uprising in Saint Domingue, and after retiring from the army in 1802, was appointed French vice-consul in Philadelphia (1805), and later was the consul to New Orleans. Tousard died in Paris in 1817.

In 1808 Tousard’s daughter Caroline married John Clements Stocker. They had four sons: John Clements Stocker (II), Henry Stocker, Anthony Eugene Stocker, and Louis Stocker. Anthony (b. 1819) married Jane Randolph and later served the Union during the Civil War as a surgeon. He died in 1897.

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Scope and content note

This small, chronologically-arranged collection includes Tousard’s commissions for service in the French and American armies, scattered correspondence pertaining to his military service, official documents pertaining to his consular appointments, and a few miscellaneous papers pertaining to his death in 1817. A number of these materials are written in French. A typed transcript of excerpts of Tousard’s “American Artillerist’s Companion,” presumably created by Anthony Stocker, is also included, as are handwritten copies of portions of Lafayette’s memoir and summaries of Tousard’s commissions. Papers pertaining to Anthony E. Stocker include commissions and a handful of correspondence relating to his military service during the Civil War. Also included are his membership in the Society of the Cincinnati and a legal document stating his mother’s approval of his marriage to Jane Randolph. All these items can be found in Box 1.

Also included in this collection is a volume containing photostatic copies of correspondence dated 1778 to 1817. The volume is not in strict chronological order. Most letters were written by Louis de Tousard, although there are some incoming letters, as well. There are many letters written to Alexander Hamilton during the Quasi-War with France, and there are also letters pertaining to Tousard’s service in the Continental Army, including a letter written by the Marquis de Lafayette from Valley Forge in 1778. Other letters were written by Tousard while in St. Domingue, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Paris. Among them are many letters written to his daughter, Caroline Stocker.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania 2005

Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Provenance

Provenance unknown.

Processing note

Processing made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this finding aid do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This collection incorporates collection 635, which was described as the Anthony Eugene Stocker papers. (Stocker was Tousard’s grandson.) Stocker’s papers were housed with Tousard’s papers, collection 664, and they have been maintained as such. Since the majority of the material pertains to Tousard, collection number 635 was retired in favor of number 664.

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Controlled Access Headings

Personal Name(s)

• Stocker, Anthony Eugene, 1819-1897.

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