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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA 11 MACON LAYMEN MEET President Martin J. Callaghan was reelected presi dent of the Macon Branch Catholic Laymen’s As sociation of Georgia at its annual meeting in that city November 13. The other officials elected fol low: First vice-president, Miss Amelia Horne; second vice-president, Mrs. W. D. Wells; third vice-presi dent, Miss Mamie Weiz; fourth vice-president, Thomas F. Sheridan; secretary and treasurer, Julius E. Loh; corresponding secretary, Miss Annie McKervey; executive committee—H. M. Sours, Mrs. L. G. Cusson, Dennis Cassidy, Mrs. M. J. Redmond and W. H. Mitchell. The meeting was attended by nearly two hundred members of the Macon branch. State President P. H. Rice, State Secretary John B. McCallum and Publicity Director Richard Reid addressed the meet ing and reported on the work for the year iust closed. Mr. McCallum, who is state deputy of the Knights of Columbus, told of the reputation the Georgia Laymen’s Association has achieved in various parts of the country, especially on the Pac ific Coast, where the Knights of Columbus met in National Convention this summer. The Macon branch is one of the most active in the state. Mr. Callaghan has done wonderful work at the helm, and was drafted for another term. Very Rev. E. A. Mattern, S. J., head of the Jesuit Fathers in the province of New Orleans, was a guest or honor at the meeting. HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE PARISH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, SAVANNAH (Continued from page 6) From the records of Chatham County, Georgia, we learn that in the year 1790 Captain Cottineau (now evidently retired) was residing on the Island of San Domingo, where he was part owner of a coffee plantation. He had been married to Mile. Mocquet de Montalet, sister of the Marquis Jean Berard Moc quet de Montalet, afterwards of Savannah and Sap- elo, and William Polycarp Montalet, afterwards owner of the “Hermitage”. His two sons, Denis and Achille, accompanied the Abbe Pierre Babade to Sa vannah and thence to Baltimore in 1779, where their names are enrolled among the first students of St. Mary’s Academy. The records of the Sulpicians state, that these two boys were both natives of San Domingo; hence we may conclude that Captain Cot tineau had retired to that Island some time before the outbreak of the French Revolution. His name does not occur on the old church records of Savannah, except in the case of the funeral rec ord referred to above. But names and signatures of Madame Cottineau and the two sons, Denis, Louis and Achille, occur several times. From old records preserved in Savannah we learn that Captain Cotti neau and his family lived in the house of the Abbe Carles on Broughton St., and it was there that Cap tain Cottineau died. The exact location of this house is unknown, but an old tradition states that it was on the south side of Broughton Street, between Whit aker and Barnard. The old city record is as follows: “Denis Nicolas Cottineau, 63 years, native of France, gentlemen, consumption, (died) Nov. 29, 1808; (buried) Nov. 30, 1808. Was afflicted three years. He died and was buried from the house of the Roman Catholic Priest, Mr. Carles, Broughton Street.” Achille Cottineau became an officer in the Amer ican Navy, and was killed in Savannah as a result of a duel fought with a friend, another officer. The cir cumstances of the young Cottineau’s death are rather peculiar; Captain Wylly gives the following version of the affair: He states that while on a cruise Cottineau noticed that this officer (also from Savannah) was placed in the disagreeable situation with his brother officers, called, in the language, of the Navy “in Coventry”. It happened that one evening the night watch acci dentally fell to these two young officers; and after a long silence Cottineau called to his friend and said, “Come here; I see you are in a very bad fix”. “I know it”, was the reply, “but what can I do?” “You must call one of them out”, was Cottineau’s reply. “So I would”, his friend answered, ’’but they will say they can’t meet me, for that would break the Coventry”. “Then, by G—d, I will break it”, shouted Cottineau. “Challenge me; I will meet you”! A week afterwards the ship made port at Savan nah. All matters were arranged as if the two were enemies, and at the first fire, young Achille Cotti neau fell dead, shot through the heart. The death record of Achille Cottineau occurs on the old record book of the Church in the handwriting of the Reverend Anthony Carles, and is dated July 11th, 1812. The circumstances of the duel are not mentioned on the church record, but there is a foot note to the effect that the funeral expenses of the young officer were to be paid by his uncle, the Mar quis de Montalet. Just off Abercorn Street, in the Colonial Cemetery, opposite the north side of McDonough Street, there is an upright marble slab with the following inscrip tion: Sacred to the Memory of Denis L. Cottineau de Kerloguen Native of Nantes (France) Formerly a Lieut, in His Majesty’s Navy Knight of the Royal and Military Order of St. Louis. Capt. commanding a ship of war of the United States during their Revolution and a member of the Cincinnati Society. Obit. 29 Nov. 1808. AE 62 years. Also of Achilles J. M. Cottineau de Kerloguen, his Son obit. July 11, 1812 AE 22 years.