The New Orleans notary who chose exile over Union occupation

Felix Grima’s Confederate Exile from Union-Occupied New Orleans

Felix Grima had it all in 1862 – a big house on St. Louis Street, nine kids, and a sweet job as one of New Orleans’ few notaries.

Then the Union navy showed up. When General Butler took over the city, he gave locals a stark choice: swear loyalty to the U.S. or get out.

Grima, a firm Confederate, picked exile. His whole family fled to Georgia, crammed into a tiny house while Union troops used their mansion for target practice.

Back home, soldiers shot up the walls and trashed the place.

The damage still shows at the Hermann-Grima House, where you can see how one family’s war choices changed everything.

A French Creole Notary Built His Empire in New Orleans

Felix Grima was born in New Orleans in 1798. He studied law and got a job as a notary public.

With only about a dozen notaries in the whole city, his job made good money since all legal papers needed his stamp. He married Marie Sophie Adelaide Montegut in 1831, whose family had lived in Louisiana for many years.

The couple bought the Hermann House on St. Louis Street in 1844 for their growing family.

The Grima Family Lived Among Books and High Society

Nine children filled the Grima home: Felix Jr. , Victor, Alfred, Louise, Paul, Marie, Edgar, George and Adelaide.

The family owned over 2,000 books, which you can still see in the museum today. As top French-Creoles, they mixed with New Orleans’ rich folks and stayed active in church life.

Felix kept his work office right in their home, handling all his legal business without leaving the house.

Union Ships Broke Through Confederate Defenses in April 1862

Captain David Farragut led Union ships past Confederate Forts Jackson and St. Philip near the Mississippi River mouth in April 1862. New Orleans fell to these Union naval forces on April 25, cutting off the South’s biggest port.

In the city, angry crowds confronted Union officers and marines at city hall. William Mumford tore down a Union flag while the mob ripped it apart.

General Butler Ruled New Orleans With an Iron Fist

Major General Benjamin Butler took control of New Orleans on May 1, 1862, bringing 5,000 troops to face 150,000 unfriendly locals.

He quickly set up military rule, made citizens swear loyalty oaths to get any government help, and took away weapons.

Butler also shut down newspapers, locked up editors, and jailed anyone who stood against Federal power. Locals called him “Beast Butler” for his harsh methods.

Local Women Got Their Own Special Military Order

New Orleans women showed their rebel spirit by spitting on Union soldiers, singing Southern songs, and even dumping chamber pots on troops from balconies.

On May 15, 1862, Butler created an order stating any woman insulting Union men would be treated like a prostitute. This rule sparked outrage worldwide.

Britain and France filed formal complaints. Confederate President Jefferson Davis called Butler an outlaw who deserved death.

The Notary Refused to Pledge Loyalty to the Union

Felix Grima stood firm as a Southern supporter and refused to sign the loyalty oath to the United States.

Butler’s rules forced citizens to choose between staying loyal to the South or keeping their homes in Union-held New Orleans. Felix risked losing both his notary job and legal work if he stayed without signing.

His money and social standing meant nothing under Butler’s military rule.

The Grimas Left Their Mansion for a Tiny Georgia Home

By 1864, Felix, Adelaide, their youngest sons George and Edgar, and their three daughters Louise, Marie, and Adelaide escaped to Augusta, Georgia.

They squeezed in with relatives in what family letters called “a small house with four rooms. ” Felix slept on a mattress on the floor.

Making things worse, two of their sons fought for the Confederate army while the family lived away from home.

Soldiers Turned Fine Furniture Into Target Practice

Union troops moved into the Grimas’ St. Louis Street mansion during their absence and used it as military housing.

The soldiers shot up walls and broke much of the furniture during target practice inside the house. You can still see bullets stuck in the walls today.

The once-fancy home lost its charm as soldiers turned it into basic army quarters.

Eleven Family Members Shared Four Rooms in Augusta

The large Grima family, eleven people total, packed into their relatives’ small four-room house in Augusta. Felix, once used to wealth in New Orleans, now slept on the floor.

Letters between family members told how hard their living setup had become.

Augusta became a safe spot for many Southern families running from Union-held cities across the South.

Felix Finally Signed the Oath After the War Ended

The Civil War ended in April 1865, letting the Grimas return home.

Felix signed the required loyalty oath to the United States so he could get his property and job back. When the family returned, they found their mansion badly damaged from the Union soldiers’ stay.

They faced the costly job of fixing their war-torn home and starting over.

The Family Picked Up the Pieces of Their Broken Home

The Grimas worked to restore their damaged mansion and slowly reclaimed their place in New Orleans society. Felix started his notary practice again, though the legal world had changed during Reconstruction.

Only three of the nine Grima children ever married: Alfred, Louise, and George.

The family kept living in the house until 1921, when they sold it to the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Visiting Hermann Grima House, Louisiana

The Hermann Grima House at 820 St. Louis Street tells the story of Felix Grima’s family, who fled New Orleans when Union troops took over their mansion during the Civil War.

You can take guided tours Wednesday through Monday at 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm for $17 adults. The Urban Enslavement Tour covers the enslaved people’s experiences and Civil War occupation.

They also do cooking demonstrations twice monthly on Thursdays from October through May.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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