Jung, Louis A.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Jung, Louis A., a leading figure in the commercial life of New Orleans, and son of Alexander A. Jung, was born on the Island of Martinique, in 1845. His father was a native of the same island, and was born in 1817. In Martinique he had a place called Plateau Jung, on which he cultivated coffee. He finished his education in France, where he graduated at the College of Louis le Grand. In 1848, when 31 years of age, he came to New Orleans and made his home here the remainder of his life. When he first came to this city he began to write for newspapers, but not finding it sufficiently remunerative, he engaged as a bookkeeper, at which he was an expert. Because of his unfavorable experience at newspaper correspondence, he got the idea that in America an education was not worth while. Shortly before the Civil war, Mr. Jung bought several slaves and gave a mortgage on them and when afterwards the slaves were freed, Mr. Jung considered that he was morally bound to pay off the mortgage, and so worked for several years at his bookkeeping to accomplish this end. He died in New Orleans in 1897, at the age of 80 years. The Jungs who remained on the Island of Martinique were prominent people there, but unfortunately half the family were killed by a tornado about 1898, and most of the remainder lost their lives by the eruption of Mt. Pelee. An uncle of L. A. Jung lost all of his children, who took refuge in a barn at the time of the tornado. One aunt of Mr. Jung, sister of his father, Madame Capra, who escaped these catastrophies, afterwards went to France, is now deceased. Her granddaughter, Miss Capplen, was at one time Damoiselle d'Honneur at the Court of Sweden, is now deceased. The children of Alexander Jung now in New Orleans are: Louis A., L. E., living on Jackson avenue, and 1 sister, who is now Sister Angele of St. Joseph's convent, in New Orleans. Louis A. Jung came to New Orleans when 3 years old. He attended McCauley's school, which was then on Camp street, but on account of the father's idea that in America an education was not valuable, he was taken out of school when but little more than 13 years old and put to work. He began as clerk in a wholesale flour store, but afterwards went with Cambon & Avec, where he remained until he was 24 years old, when he went with Godchaux as confidential clerk and held this position for 12 years. In 1881, at the age of 36, Mr. Jung went into the coal business on his own account. In 1895 he took his sons into partnership with him and the firm became known as Jung & Sons. It was later formed into a corporation, of which L. A. Jung is president. Mr. Jung is also in the oil business, being vice-president of the Texas Oil Co., to which concern he devotes most of his time. In 1865 Mr. Jung was married to Miss Marie Azelie Ledossu d'Hébécourt, daughter of Francis Napoleon Ledossu d'Hébécourt, of New Orleans. Mrs. Jung's great-grandfather founded the city of Gallipolis, O., and the Portsmouth (O.) Republican of July 4, 1867, contained some sketches of French residents of Gallipolis and the following is copied from that paper: "Francois Anaclet d'Hébécourt was some 30 years of age at the time of the landing of the French immigrants at this place. He was of commanding appearance, graceful in his manners, of finely cultivated mind and had been reared in luxury and ease; but few men among the immigrants possessed as much intelligence and acquaintance with life as d 'Hébécourt. At the very outset his counsel was relied upon, and the immigrants on completing their voyage and route to the banks of "La Belle Rivier" being compelled to form a military company in order to defend themselves against the attacks of Indians, Gov. St. Clair was petitioned and asked to issue a commission to d 'Hébécourt as captain. A commission was promptly forwarded and during the Indian war, from 1790 until peace was made in 1794, Capt. d'Hébécourt commanded the garrison, containing some 500 French immigrants, to whom rations and provisions were furnished the greater part of the time by the United States commissaries. While Captain d'Hébécourt was in command of the military force, he required a rigid adherence to military orders. He had been an officer in the French army and was a perfect master of military tactics and garrison duties. His company was divided into classes of 10 men to each class, who took turns in patrolling the country daily, so that every class would be called out 1 day in 12 to make a circuit, starting out and going up or down the Ohio some 10 miles, then spreading apart and marching in a cautious and stealthy manner around the country so as to get to the river, above or below, as the case might be, and then to the garrison to report the day's operations. This line of conduct prescribed by Capt. d'Hébécourt was so successfully carried out that the Indians never approached without due notice to the garrison. Indeed, the tact and military ability displayed by Capt. d'Hébécourt drew forth flattering testimonials from Col. Elbenzer Sproat, who was in command of the 6 garrisons of Washington county." To Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Jung, the following children have been born: Ambroisine, now Mrs. Ernest Develle; Charles and Theodore, members of Jung & Sons, and Rita, now Mrs. Stewart.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 227-228. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.