Hello, I'm looking for my gr gr gr grandfather Nicholas Briskey and his brother Charles Briskey. They came to America around 1770. They we're french officers so felt they fought with Napoleon. They received the title "LaBriskey" From Napoleon. They decided to stay in america and changed everything foreign. To Briskey/Brisky. And Signed on with the American Army. Is there anywhere I could find lists of officers or military list of the American Army in the American Revolutionary War. They became a large family and settled and had a plantation in Alabama. also served and lost several brothers in Civil War. Thank you, Sandel DeMastus Seattle,WA

Briskey/Brisky---could you find Nicolas here? Rhonda Houston Alabama; Tristan de Luna established a settlement on Mobile Bay in 1559, which was abandoned in 1561. Spanish Franciscans esatablished missions in the Alabama area, moving northward and eastward from Saint Austutine, Florida after 1573. France claimed the region in 1699 and founded Fort Code (Mobile) in 1702 and Fort Toulouse in 1717. The first African slaves arrived in 1719. Mobile was devastaated by a hurricane in 1733. The area remained under French control until 1763. From 1763 until 1783 it was governed by Great Britain as a part of West Florida. Another hurricane hit Mobile in 1772. In 1783 Mobile was ceded to Spain, and the rest of Alabama became part of Georgia. The border between them was established in 1787. In 1798, Alabama was incorported into the Mississippi Territory. the Spanish settlement of Tombeebe' was abandoned in 1799. Mobile was taken by the Uninted States in 1813 during the War of 1812. The Alabama Territory was organized in 1817. Ecclesiastical and Civil Records and Sources Early French censuses for 1706, 1721, and 1725 have been abstrated in the "Deep South Genealogical Quarterly" 1 (August 1963). DeVille, Winston. "Mobile Funeral, 1726 - 1764: Alabama Church Records of the French Province of Louisiana" (Ville Platte, LA: Smith, 1994). Includes marriages from the present-day area of Mobile, Alabama when Alabama was part of Louisiana, taken from the records fo the Catherdral of the mmaculate Conception. Buggested Reading: Badger, R. Reid and Lawrence A. Clayon. "Alabama and the Borderlands from Prehistory to Statehood." (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1985). Dodd, Donald B. "Historical Atlas of Alabama" (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1974). Hamilton, Peter Joseph. "Colonial Mobile" (1897, Reprint. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1976). Holmes, Jack D. L. "Alabama's Forgotton Settlers: Notes on the Spanish Mobile District, 1780 - 1813." Alabama Historical Quarterly 33 (Summer 1974): p. 87 - 97, fiche (family historic center) #6334262 Saunders, James E. and Elizabeth S. Blair. "Early Settlers of Albama 2 Vols. (1899. Reprint. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1969, fiche # 6051449 (family history center) Thomas, Daniel H. "Fort Toulouse: The French Outpost at the Alabamas on the Coosa" (Tuscaloosa: University of Albama Press, 1989). Taken from: For all those surnames that have made it to the early 1700's and 1800's, you might take a look at the "Genealogical Encyclopedia of the Colonial Americas" which is a Reference Book, written by Christina Schaefer. It is set up by state, town, county and shows where the original records are kept. Then, the # of the film that your information is on is noted by the authoress for your convenience and even WHERE the film can be located (which is usually locally held at the nearest LDS family history center). At the end of every chapter there are extra resources and common enough to find to find what records you are requiring presently. This book is excellent for Canada also. The bibilography at the back of each chapter which deals with each state, US territory, countries of South America, Mexico, and Canada, are resources that pertain to the historical development of each area that only a resource librarian would know about...and Ms Schaefer has listed these and provided the titles and places where they can be found. All I can say is "WHAT A BOOK"!!!! The ISBN # is 0806315768 (for your librarian for perhaps an interlibrary loan) Rhonda Houston

Dear Sandel If your ancestors arrived in America in 1770, they won't have fought for Napoleon because he wasn't born until 1769. Are you sure you've got the right date here? In 1770, France was ruled by King Louis XVI. Do you have any idea why Frenchmen would go to settle in British territory? The French and British weren't on very good terms (ever), but after the end of the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) Anglo-French relations were particularly strained. Marjie.