[StBernard] Historic Marker Dedication Held at De La Ronde Ruins

[Westley Annis]

Historic Marker Dedication Held at De La Ronde Ruins

 

Officials from St. Bernard Parish Government, Chalmette Refining and the
Daughters of the British Empire gathered on the site of the former De La
Ronde Plantation to dedicate the newest historic marker in St. Bernard.

 

"I appreciate the hard work members of my administration have invested in
this project making these markers a reality," said Parish President David
Peralta. "Our historian Bill Hyland wrote the text of the marker, Michael
Bayham worked on identifying the key locations and our tourist director
Katherine Tommaseo did a fantastic job putting the funds together to get it
done prior to the upcoming bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans," said
Peralta.

 

Tommaseo spearheaded the successful fundraising drive to raise the money for
five new historic markers across St. Bernard that provide information about
important events that took place during the Battle of New Orleans.
Chalmette Refining, LLC was the sponsor for the new De La Ronde Plantation
historic marker.

 

"This was a wonderful event and I am glad we are doing more to commemorate
all of the parties that were involved in one of the most important battles
in American history and the military engagement that changed for the better
relations between the United States and the United Kingdom," said Jane
Caruso of the Daughters of the British Empire.

 

"The De La Ronde ruins has a special place for the British as it served as a
field hospital during the Battle of New Orleans and it was where the bodies
of both General Edward Pakenham and General Samuel Gibbs were taken after
they were killed in the Battle of New Orleans," said Caruso.

 

Honorary British Consul to New Orleans James Coleman spoke at the dedication
and the event concluded with bagpipe music and a reception at Rocky &
Carlo's. The Daughters of the British Empire will hold a commemoration event
at the De La Ronde Plantation ruins in honor of the British fallen during
the Battle of New Orleans on the morning of January 9th as part of the
state's Battle of New Orleans Bicentennial events.