. By the time the German settlers had arrived in
New France, many had died from disease. Originally assigned to lead the people to establish a settlement in what is now
Arkansas, Charles abandoned this plan as the Mississippi Company had left them undersupplied and without food, shelter or transport. He instead led the settlers to
New Orleans where he befriended
Governor Bienville. He had tried to secure passage back to France, but Bienville convinced Charles to instead settle in the fertile lands west of New Orleans. The Germans were given government land grants along the Mississippi River, divided into four areas (Karlstein, Hoffen, Mariental, and Augsburg). D’Arensbourg grant, the largest, was named Karlstein in his honor. With the help of a team of 80 lumberjacks, carpenters and other workers provided by The Mississippi Company, the German settlers built three European styled villages in the area. He settled on a plantation within the concession and married a fellow German settler, Margaret Metzer. Despite setbacks, the German colony soon prospered and became key in supplying food to nearby New Orleans. Charles remained in Louisiana the rest of his life, leading the German settler community for more than fifty years, both as a civilian and military leader. He was made a
Chevalier de St. Louis in 1765. Many of the German colonists were displeased with the new Spanish colonial governor
Ulloa, and when the 1768 rebellion took place, d’Arensbourg organized a militia and marched them into New Orleans to assist the rebels. Ulloa soon abandoned the colony, but when Spanish forces returned, the rebellion leaders were arrested and executed. Despite being charged with treason by the Spanish, d’Arensbourg escaped execution though sentenced to death, due to his age. He died in 1777, at the age of 84, having been predeceased by his wife the year before. == References ==