Lieutenant Colonel Jean Marcos Coulon de Villiers was an officer of Spanish Pensacola at the time of its transfer to the United States in 1821. He was the father-in-law of John Innerarity (by his daughter Marie Victoria[1]) and Arnaldo Guillemard (by his daughter Marie Josepha). He was commandant of San Marcos de Apalache, among other posts.
De Villiers came from a famous French military family. His grandfather was François Coulon de Villiers, brother to Louis Coulon de Villiers and Joseph Coulon de Jumonville. François became a commandant of New Spain after the Treaty of Paris, and his son Marc, a Spanish loyalist, settled in Pensacola after the Treaty of San Ildefonso returned Louisiana to French rule.[2]
After the arrest transfer of Florida to the United States in 1821, former Spanish Governor Jose Callava was arrested by Andrew Jackson. A group of thirteen Spanish officers, which included de Villiers and his son-in-law Guillemard, wrote a "Declaration of many respectable witnesses of what passed," which enumerated a number of what they perceived to be injustices perpetrated by Jackson on the Spanish population. No action was taken at the time, but when a newspaper published an anonymous advertisement critical of Jackson and his deputy Henry Brackenridge, Jackson ordered the banishment of de Villiers, Guillemard and six other signatories of the previous declaration.[3]
The group accepted the banishment, but de Villiers returned with his son-in-law four months later, while Jackson was in Nashville. They appealed to acting Governor George Walton for enough time in the city to retrieve their families and set their private affairs in order. Walton initially confined them to their homes and later imprisoned them in the calabozo ("dungeon"). When word of the men's return reached Jackson, he replied, "Col. Coulon (Villiers) is father-in-law of John Innerarity. Guillemard is a very base and treacherous man; being the same who piloted the British up Bayou Bienvenue in the year 1815, then an officer of Spain, when the attempt was made upon New-Orleans by General Packenham."[3]
The two prisoners petitioned the United States Congress. On February 20, 1822 their complaint was read before the Senate, but tabled on a motion by Senator James Barbour.[4] Two days later, on February 22, an order by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams released Guillemard and de Villiers.[3]
De Villiers Street (and, by extension, the Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood) is named for Marcos de Villiers.