Frederick L. Villepigue (c. 1826–?) served as

Secretary of State of Florida The Secretary of State of Florida is an executive officer of the state government of the U.S. state of Florida, established since the original 1838 state constitution. Like the corresponding officials in other states, the original charge of the ...

from July 1, 1853, to January 13, 1863.

Early life

Villepigue was born in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. He was descended from a

Frenchman The French people (french: Français) are an ethnic group and nation primarily located in Western Europe that share a common French culture, history, and language, identified with the country of France. The French people, especially the nati ...

, Francois Villepigue, who immigrated from France to

Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1804. The name derives from the Spanish main city in the island, Santo Domingo, which came to refer ...

, a

French colony The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that existe ...

, in 1788, but was killed by his slaves in a

slave rebellion A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by enslaved people, as a way of fighting for their freedom. Rebellions of enslaved people have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery or have practiced slavery in the past. A desire for freedo ...

in 1800 in the

Haitian Revolution The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...

. Francois' wife received a last-minute warning and escaped with their two sons, arriving with Pierre Laurent Jumelle at

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, and settling in

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South Caro ...

. One of the Villepigues' sons, Paul Francis became a prominent merchant in

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

, and one of his seven children was Fredrick L. Villepigue. Villepigue graduated from South Carolina College and moved to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in the 1840s. The 1850 Census listed him as a 21-year-old lawyer living in Jefferson County.

Florida Secretary of State

Villepigue was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Charles W. Downing, Jr. as

on July 1, 1853, and was elected to that post on July 25, 1853, serving until January 13, 1863. The 1860 Census listed Villepigue having a personal estate of $200.00. On April 19 of that year, he was married to Margaret Watson Armstrong, the eldest daughter of General James Watson Armstrong in the Presbyterian Church by the Rev. David Willis, in

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...

. Villepigue had one son, Harry, born in November 1863, and a daughter, Jeanne, born around 1861.

Civil War service

On January 11, 1861, at the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Villepigue publicly affixed the Great Seal of the State of Florida to Florida's Declaration of Independence on the east

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

of the

State Capitol This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...

, turned to face an assembled crowd, and "in a clear distinct voice proclaimed Florida an independent nation. A second later 15

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

s were fired in

salute A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Sco ...

of the new state and shouting broke forth." Villepigue enlisted in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

on March 3, 1862, at

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

, joined Robert Howard Gamble's Artillery. In April 1862, he was appointed the

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

of the Leon Light Artillery under Gamble, then a captain. Villepigue was promoted from

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the

Kilcrease Light Artillery The Kilcrease Light Artillery was a Confederate army artillery company. Headed by Captain Patrick Houston and Captain Frederick L. Villepigue, it was formed in Leon County, Florida in the spring of 1863 upon the dividing of the Leon Light Artille ...

on May 26, 1863. He served with the Kilcrease Light Artillery until November 22, 1864, when he resigned his commission to become Secretary of the

Confederate Senate The Confederate States Congress was both the Provisional government, provisional and permanent Legislature, legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned w ...

Later life

On January 22, 1867, he began to serve as a judge of the criminal court in

Monticello, Florida Monticello ( ) is the only city in Jefferson County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,506 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jefferson County. The city is named after Monticello, the estate of the county's namesake, Thomas ...

until the next session

Florida Legislature The Florida Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. State of Florida. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article III, Section 1 of the Florida Cons ...

and was paid an annual salary of $200 and $5 for each case tried. 1867 tax records show Villepigue owned assessed at $700 and one horse valued at $50, while records two years later show him as a lawyer worth $10. The

1870 Census The United States census of 1870 was the ninth United States census. It was conducted by the Census Bureau from June 1, 1870, to August 23, 1871. The 1870 census was the first census to provide detailed information on the African-American popul ...

listed Villepigue as having a personal estate of $300. He is interred at Roselawn Cemetery in

References

External links

Record of Civil War Veterans of the Kilcrease Light ArtilleryCollections
of the Florida State Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Villepigue, Frederick L. 1820s births University of South Carolina alumni People from Jefferson County, Florida People from Leon County, Florida Secretaries of State of Florida Villepigue, Patrick L. Year of death missing