Francisco Bouligny

Francisco Domingo Joseph Bouligny y Paret (; 4 September 1736 – 25 November 1800) was a high-ranking Spanish military and political figure in Spanish Louisiana. As a francophone in Spanish service, he was a bridge between Creole and French Louisiana and Spain following the transfer of the territory from France to Spain. Bouligny served as lieutenant governor under Bernardo de Gálvez, founded the city of New Iberia in 1779, and served as acting military governor in 1799. Early life Bouligny, called "Frasquito" by his family, was born in 1736 in Alicante, Spain, to Jean (Juan) Bouligny, a successful French merchant, and Marie Paret, who was from Alicante. At the age of 10, he was sent to a boys' school founded by the Bishop of Orihuela, from which he graduated in 1750 and joined the family import-export business, which traded textiles, spices, wines, and more from both around the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic. Early military career In 1758, Bouligny enlisted in the Spanish army, joining the Regiment of Zamora. A year later, he transferred to the Royal Regiment of Spanish Guards and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the infantry and sent to Havana, Cuba, in 1762. At that time, Spain had entered the Seven Years' War and, while Bouligny was en route from Cádiz, the British captured Havana. New orders had Bouligny wait out the remainder of the war in Santa Cruz de Renerife in the Canary Islands. In August 1763, Bouligny arrived in Havana where he was stationed until 1769 when he joined Alejandro O'Reilly as an aide-de-camp for his expedition to put down the Louisiana Rebellion. As Bouligny was fluent in French, he was charged with delivering the Spanish government's messages to the Francophone inhabitants of Louisiana and he acted as an interpreter during the military trial of the rebellion's leaders. Bouligny was promoted to the rank of brevet captain in the newly formed Fixed Louisiana Infantry Battalion. In 1772, he was appointed by Gov. Luis de Unzaga as a full captain. However, a year later Bouligny was relieved from command by Unzaga and placed under house arrest for ordering a group of deserters six-year prison terms instead of the four-month sentence proscribed by the king's code. Ultimately, O'Reilly interceded on Bouligny's behalf and he was restored to his command with a warning.