Pg. VIII

Claudius Cadot was born February 17th, 1793, in Gallipolis. He was probably the first male child born in Gallia county, and at the time of his death was the oldest male child born of the French colonists of Gallipolis. His parents, Claudius Cadot and Jane Bastine, were married in Paris, France, in 1790, shortly previous to the emigration of the French colonists, with whom they embarked, arriving with them in the fall of that year at Gallipolis. On January 28th, 1791, Marin Louise Cadot was born, the first child born in Gallipolis; about two years later, as stated above, was born her brother Claudius, the subject of this sketch; two years later, was born a younger brother Lemuel. For a time all went well with the young married pair, but Mons. Cadot early fell a victim to the malaria of the climate, leaving his wife with three helpless babes to struggle for an existence in this wild country, a life for which she was wholly unprepared, except with the energy inspired by a brave spirit. Within about three months she marred a young Frenchman of the colony named Charles Francis Dutiel, who immediately made preparations and removed his family to their lots on the grant in the fall of 1797, being among the first families that went down. He was accompanied by Mons. Bureau, the subject of a former sketch.

Young Claudius was employed for a number of years in working on the farm in the summer, and in his father’s distillery in the winter; distilling wines and liquors being a very general business among the early settlers of the grant. He had the advantage of eleven months of schooling at that time, which was all he ever obtained. In October, 1809, his sister Marie Louise married Mons. Francis Le Clercq, the subject of a following sketch.

In the spring of 1812 Governor Meigs issued a call for volunteers in defence [sic] of the frontiers from the depredations of the Indians, and war was then imminent with Great Britain. Two companies went from Scioto county, and Claudius, being at that time eighteen years of age, enlisted in one of them, commanded by Captain John Lucas, for one year. They received their arms at Chillicothe, from whence they marched to Dayton, where they formed the 1st Ohio Regiment, under Duncan McArthur. They went to Urbana, which was the frontier town, and joined a detachment of the United States regulars, under Colonel Miller. Here was organized that little army, which, under command of General Hull, marched through the wilderness to Detroit. While on this march war was declared by Congress against England. The dispatches notifying Hull, never reached him, as the messenger fell into the hands of the enemy. On the 16th of August, Mons. Cadot, with some of his companions, walked across to the Ohio river at Georgetown, below Pittsburgh, and started down the river in canoes, the ordinary mode of traveling in that day. When they arrived at Gallipolis, Mons. Cadot stayed at the house of his sister, Mad. Le Clercq.

As a parole of honor had been given, and he was not exchanged, he soon went back to work upon the farm. When the war was over he followed keel-boating upon the river for four years, accumulating means with which he purchased a farm in Vinton township, paying the government therefor [sic] four dollars an acre. He was married in 1818 to Nancy Ball, and two years later moved onto his farm, and commenced the real business of his life. His first wife died in a few years, and he then gave up the farm to his son Claudius, and lived with his oldest daughter, Mrs. Mary Hayward, at the grant. He afterwards purchased a home and lived at Wheelersburg, where he spent the remainder of his days.

He was noted as being the first male child born at Gallipolis. He was among the last of the keel-boatmen, that peculiar class that was once very numerous, now nearly extinct. He drew a pension for his services in the war, and was the last of his company to survive. He had a family burial ground upon the farm where his remains were placed.