Dickinson, Charles H.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 1), pp. 379-380. Published by the
Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.

Among the many prominent citizens of Iberville parish, La., whose merits are such as to entitle them to representation in the present work, is Charles H. Dickinson, civil engineer,
Plaquemine, La., the subject of this sketch. He was born in this parish, in Plaquemine, in the
house where he now resides, "The Old Dickinson Mansion," July 27, 1846, and is the son of
Charles H. and Anna M. (Turner) Dickinson, of Nashville, Tenn., where they were married. In
1828 the parents came to Louisiana, located on Bayou Grosse Tote in Iberville parish, and there the father engaged in planting. This occupation he continued until his death in 1848, when about forty-five years of age. This family came originally from Maryland to Tennessee and was of English descent. The father was one of the pioneers in the opening of what was once the garden spot of Louisiana, Bayou Grosse Tote, and he was a very successful sugar planter. The mother of our subject died in 1886, at the age of seventy-four years. She was a devout Presbyterian, and devoted a large pert of her fortune to education, churches and charity. Charles H. Dickinson was the youngest of three children and is the only one now living. He received his education in Scotland, at the University of Edinburg, and took the arts course. He studied civil engineering and that has been his profession since. In April, 1863, he joined the Thirtieth Louisiana infantry, Confederate States army, for ninety days and was under Captain Breaux during that time. He was subsequently in the First Louisiana regiment of cavalry under General Forest, and was with him until the close of the war. He was taken prisoner in a fight near Morganza, La., while serving with Jumel's company, and was taken to New Orleans, where he made his escape two weeks later. He was wounded in a skirmish on Bayou La Fourche while serving as scout for General Major's brigade of cavalry. Surrendered at Gainsville, Ala., in April, 1865. Mr. Dickinson was in Scotland from the close of the war until the latter part of 1888, and he then returned to Plaquemine, where he has made his home ever since. In 1874 he went to Texas for his health, joined the Texas rangers, and fought the Indians for nine months. In 1868 he married Miss Lilly Devall, of West Baton Rouge parish and a sister of Capt. David Devall. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Knights of Pythias and the college fraternity Chi Phi. In politics he is a democrat and an anti-lottery man. Mr. Dickinson has been engaged in real estate business for two years, and is at present parish surveyor.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 1), pp. 379-380. Published by the
Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.