the
intervention of powerful friends. He soon embarked for America, and
arrived at New-York in November, 1815, having for recommendation his
ardent desire to be useful and a decided love of liberty. After a short
residence in New-York he proceeded to Philadelphia, where he expected to
meet with some encouragement in his profession as an engineer. Here he
became acquainted with Mr. Fairman, the engraver, and worked for him a
few months with advantage, boarding meanwhile at a French house, into
which the landlady received him in consideration of the devotion of his
leisure to the instruction of her children. The next spring he removed
to Washington, where he had heard that he could be profitably employed
in the rebuilding of the capitol, which the British army had destroyed
in the late war. He now worked as an architect for about a year, when,
several leading senators and representatives having become acquainted
with him, and, taking a particular interest in him for his earnest and
manly character and the remarkable abilities he had evinced as an
engineer, in the incidental opportunities presented by his employment as
an architect, they signed a petition to President Madison for his
admission to the corps of Topographical Engineers, which was then to be
organized, and he was at once transferred to the United States Army. A
short time after, General Bernard, whom Mr. Crawford, the American
Minister at Paris, had engaged to be the chief of the Topographical
Engineers, arrived in Washington, and assuming his office proceeded to
the necessary preparations for that survey of the physical resources of
our territory for national defence, and for tracing the lines required
to form a complete base of operations in time of war, on the assailable
portions of our frontier, for which the service had been instituted.
Before leaving France, General Bernard had received especial
recommendations from the friends of young Poussin to look after his
interests, and when they met, therefore, their acquaintance was made on
the most intimate and agreeable terms on both sides. Upon the
application of General Bernard to the Secretary of War, Poussin was
attached to his person as an aid-de-camp, and left Washington with him
for a military reconnaissance of the coast on the Gulf of Mexico, and of
the delta of the Mississippi. They spent a year and a half upon their
important duties, in New Orleans and its vicinity, regardless of the
dangers of that