CHAPTER XXVII.
ABOLITION OF LICENSED GAMBLING.
BATON ROUGE--FLORIDA PARISHES--DISSATISFACTION--WHERE THERE'S A WILL,
THERE'S A WAY--STORMING A FORT ON HORSEBACK--ANNEXATION AT THE POINT
OF THE POKER--RAPHIGNAC AND LARRY MOORE--FIGHTING THE "TIGER"--CARRYING
A PRACTICAL JOKE TOO FAR--A SILVER TEA-SET.
That portion of Louisiana known as the Florida parishes, and consisting
of the parishes east of the Mississippi, was part of West Florida, and
was almost entirely settled by Americans when a Spanish province. Baton
Rouge, which takes its name from the flagstaff which stood in the
Spanish fort, and which was painted red, (_baton_ meaning stick, and
_rouge_, red, to Anglicize the name would make it red stick,) was the
seat of power for that part or portion of the province. Here was a
small Spanish garrison: on the opposite bank was Louisiana; New Orleans
was the natural market and outlet for the productions of these Florida
settlements.
When the cession of Louisiana to the United States occurred, these
American settlers, desirous of returning to American rule, were
restless, and united in their dissatisfaction with Spanish control.
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