702. Madison Tensas

702. Part 1 of our Madison Tensas presentation. Our PowerPoint is located here. Henry Clay Lewis (1825-1850) published Odd Leaves from the Life of a Louisiana “Swamp Doctor” under the pen name of Madison Tensas, M.D. Lewis originally published his sketches separately in The Spirit of the Times, a sporting and hunting magazine published weekly in New York. He then combined the stories into his book in 1850, which he published a few months before his death. Lewis gives us an early look at life in North Louisiana. His perspective is somewhat autobiographical, but from a humorous perspective. Lewis helped develop Southwestern humor, providing a model to later authors like Samuel Clemens. Anybody reading Lewis’ eye dialect and humorous tall tales will immediately be reminded of Clemens. Nevertheless, the book gives us much valuable information about the life of a country doctor in North Louisiana in the 1840s.

1. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 222 years. Order your copy today!
2. This week in the Louisiana Anthology.
      New Orleans, Dec. 1, 1860. — I understand it now. Keeping journals is for those who can not, or dare not, speak out. So I shall set up a journal, being only a rather lonely young girl in a very small and hated minority. On my return here in November, after a foreign voyage and absence of many months, I found myself behind in knowledge of the political conflict, but heard the dread sounds of disunion and war muttered in threatening tones. Surely no native-born woman loves her country better than I love America. The blood of one of its revolutionary patriots flows in my veins, and it is the Union for which he pledged his "life, fortune, and sacred honor" that I love, not any divided or special section of it. If the South goes to war for slavery, slavery is doomed in this country. To say so is like opposing one drop to a roaring torrent. This is a good time to follow St. Paul's advice that women should refrain from speaking, but they are speaking more than usual and forcing others to speak against their will.
      Jan. 26, 1861. — The solemn boom of cannon today announced that the convention have passed the ordinance of secession. We must take a reef in our patriotism and narrow it down to State limits. Mine still sticks out all around the borders of the State. It will be bad if New Orleans should secede from Louisiana and set up for herself. Rob opened the battle yesterday morning by saying to me in his most aggressive manner, "G., I believe these are your sentiments"; and then he read aloud an article from the "Journal des Debats" expressing in rather contemptuous terms the fact that France will follow the policy of non-intervention. When I answered: "Well, what do you expect? This is not their quarrel," he raved at me, ending by a declaration that he would willingly pay my passage to foreign parts if I would like to go
   
3. This week in Louisiana history. October 30, 1938. Lake Charles police receive scores of phone calls following Orson Wells radio broadcast of War of the Worlds.
4. This week in New Orleans history. October 30, 1974: Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle," an event that was watched by thousands at a massive closed-circuit screening in the Superdome.
5. This week in Louisiana.
   Halloween in the French Quarter
   October 2026
   French Quarter
   New Orleans, LA 70116
   Website: neworleans.com
   Phone: (504) 566‑5011 (New Orleans Tourism Office)
   Email: Not listed in search results
   Halloween in the French Quarter is one of the most distinctive seasonal experiences in the United States ' a full month of ghost tours, haunted houses, costumed street life, and historic lore woven through the Quarter's centuries‑old streets. From family‑friendly events to late‑night revelry, the Quarter becomes a living stage for New Orleans' supernatural imagination.
• The Mortuary Haunted Mansion: A nationally known haunted house set inside a real former mortuary on Canal Street. Elaborate sets, professional actors, and a new theme each year make it a cornerstone of the New Orleans Halloween season.
• Ghost & Vampire Tours: The French Quarter's historic streets host nightly walking tours exploring haunted mansions, voodoo legends, and the city's long tradition of supernatural storytelling.
• French Quarter Street Costuming: Throughout October ' especially on weekends ' the Quarter fills with costumed revelers, street performers, and themed pop‑ups, creating a spontaneous, carnival‑like atmosphere.
• Family‑Friendly Events: Trick‑or‑treating, pumpkin patches, and daytime activities appear across the Quarter and nearby neighborhoods, offering options for all ages.
• Historic Cemeteries & Voodoo Culture: Guided tours of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and other historic sites highlight the city's unique blend of Catholic, Creole, and African spiritual traditions.
6. Postcards from Louisiana. Zydeco Hellraisers at the French Quarter Fest.

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