Veteran Bio

Dr. Labadie was educated in Detroit, moving in 1823 to Saint Louis, Missouri. He entered the Lazarist Seminary of St. Mary's at Barrens in Perry County as a novitiate for the priesthood. Later, finding that by temperament he was unsuited to this calling, in 1829, he left the seminary to study medicine under Dr. J. J. Merry in Saint Louis, earning the means with which to defray his expenses by clerking in a store. In the summer of 1830 he moved to Fort Jessup, Louisiana where he practiced medicine and clerked in a store. On Christmas, 1830, he presented letters of introduction to Jose de las Piedras, Commandante, at Nacogdoches, Texas, and after visiting San Felipe and other points in Texas, left Quintana by boat for New Orleans. On March 2, 1831, he arrived at Anahuac on the schooner Martha, Captain James H. Spillman, with a stock of medicine. He was shortly afterwards appointed surgeon of the Mexican Garrison by John Bradburn, commander. Later he opened a store in partnership with Charles Wilcox. In 1832 he joined forces with the colonists in opposing Bradburn.

Dr. Labadie enlisted in Captain William M. Logan's Company at its formation at Liberty March 6th. He received Bounty Certificate No. 1006 for 320 acres of land for having served in the army from March 6 to June 6, 1836. On Captain Logan's muster roll he is shown as having been promoted to assistant-surgeon April 18th. His San Jacinto Donation Certificate No. 527 for 640 acres of land was issued August 29, 1838.

Dr. Labadie was married to Mary Norment in 1831. Mrs. Labadie was born in Mississippi January 27, 1815, daughter of William and Sarah (Milburn) Norment. In June, 1832, Dr. Labadie removed his wife and family from Anahuac to a plantation on Lake Charlotte near Moss Bluss in Liberty County. In 1838 he moved to Galveston where he established a drug store on what is now the northwest corner of Market and Twenty-second streets and continued the practice of medicine there. His wife died November 5, 1839 of yellow fever and was buried on Lake Charlotte, being survived by the following children. Sarah, Charlotte and Mary Cecelia Labadie.

That Dr. Labadie was in the Confederate Army in the War between the States or at least rendered service to the Confederacy is shown in General Order No. 51 issued by Brigadier General T. B. Howard at Galveston June 19, 1863 from which the following was extracted:

"Physical disability to the extent of actual disqualification for service in the field only will exempt drafted men, to ascertain which Surgeons T. J. Heard and N. D. Labadie, and Assistant Surgeon J. B. O. Lancton, are constituted a Board of Examination, who will on oath make careful personal examination of every applicant, and certify in detail the nature, character and extent of such disability, which certificate, until approved by the Brigadier General will not exempt the applicant."

On December 9, 1840, Dr. Labadie was married to Mrs. Agnes D. Revira of New York City. Mrs. Labadie succumbed to yellow fever in 1843 or 1844, leaving a son Joseph. She was buried in the Catholic Cemetery, Galveston.

Dr. Labadie's third wife was Miss Julia Seymour of Guildord, Connecticut. By this union there were no children. Dr. Labadie died in Galveston March 13, 1867, and was buried in a Catholic Cemetery there in a marked grave. His widow married a second time. She died in Guildord, Connecticut, in about the year 1888.

A lengthy account of the San Jacinto campaign written by Dr. Labadie appeared in the Texas Almanac in 1859.

LABADIE, DR. NICHOLAS DESCOMP'S -- (Letterhead) The Mayor

Galveston, Texas
Sep. 23, 1939

Dear Sir:

A granddaughter of Sur. Labadie lives near me. She says he was in the Confederate war from the beginning. She has no record of when he was enlisted or when discharged but she has the enclosed of which she has allowed me to copy a part mentioned Dr. Labadie.

Will not this show he was in the first Brigade? Kindly let me know.

Respectfully,
(Signed)
Mrs. W. H. Owen.
1905 37th St.

HEADQUARTERS
1ST BRIGADE T. S. TROOPS,
GALVESTON, JUNE 19Th, A. D. 1863.
GENERAL ORDER, NO. 51.

To defend the State from invasion, the Governor, by General Order No. 28 has ordered that a draft be made at once throughout the state (except certain border counties mentioned), of one half "All white male inhabitants embracing refugees from every portion of the Confederacy including Maryland and aliens, between the ages of eighteen and fifty years" for six months service, unless sooner discharged : the draft in limits of this months service, unless sooner discharged : the draft in limits of this Brigade will be holden on the 11th day of July, A. D. 1863.

Each officer commanding a Company will, (having first revised his muster roll,) on the day designated, cause the names of each commissioned and non-commissioned officer and private, to be placed in a hat or box and one half thereof drawn there from; such persons as are drawn will arm themselves with such arms as they possess, and on the 15th day of July repair to Shippers Cotton Press in Galveston, and report for duty to the officer in command of the camp. They will be required on oath to report all arms in their possession.

Physical disability to the extend of actual disqualification for service in the field only will exempt drafted men, to ascertain which Surgeons T. J. Heard and N. D. Labadie, and assistant Surgeon J. B. O. Lancton, are constituted a Board of Examination, who will on oath make careful personal examination of every applicant, and certify in detail the nature, character and extent of such disability, which certificate, until approved by the Brigadier General will not exempt the applicant.

All certificates of disability heretofore approved, are revoked.

By command of Brig. Gen. T. B. Howard.
Philip C. Tucker, Major, Adjutant & Inspector General.

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