Lot 1625

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Description:

French aristocrat and military veteran, father of Joseph-Xavier Celestin (1791 - 1878), New Orleans-born husband of Micaëlla Almonaster Delfau de Pontalba (1795-1874), a Creole aristocrat, businesswoman and real estate designer and developer well-remembered in NOLA to this day. Rare A.L.S., 1p. 4to., [France], May 12, 1817 to August Macarty, Mayor of New Orleans. Largely untranslated but concerns "Louisiana State papers", the French Marine Office, and the Municipality of New Orleans. Light toning, else very good. Micaela's attempts to protect her fortune and separate from Célestin so enraged Baron de Pontalba that he resorted to violence. On October 19, 1834, during one of her visits to the Pontalba's chateau, he stormed into her bedroom and shot Micaela four times in the chest at point-blank range with a pair of dueling pistols. After the first shot, she allegedly screamed out: "Don't! I'll give you everything", whereupon he replied: "No, you are going to die" and shot her another three times in the chest, one bullet passing through the hand that she had instinctively put up to cover one of the gun's muzzles. She survived the shooting and that evening, the baron committed suicide in his study by shooting himself in the head.

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July 31, 2019 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000