Hungarian Mariners-French Sergeants-Pirates-Capitalist-Australian Racist

Hungarian Priests-Union Navy Civil War-Sacramento Butch

By Adam S. Eterovich

Croatians have been in America for over 300 years. We have been called and identified as everything but Croatians. Our contribution to America has not been adequately researched. Because of this fact America and Americans know nothing of Croatia and Croatians. We cannot expect Americans to buy Croatian products if they do not know who we are; the same applies to what they think of Croatia historically or politically. We need identity and positive acts; not politics or continual negative reactions to events. Croatians were involved in all aspects of the creation and building of America. The following is a small and amusing part of Americana.

Hungarian Mariner

Bozo de Araguz means Christian or Chris of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). This is the first and earliest recording of a Croatian name, Bozo, found in the New World.

He was on Sebastian Cabot’s Voyage of 1526-1530 to the Rio De La Plata in South America.

Spanish Commentary:

“ARAGUZ (Bozo de). Su nombre y apellido aparecen en los documentos escritos de varias maneras: Bojo de Aragujo, Bozo de Ragoza, etc. Habia nacido en Araguz, en Hungria, en 1503 o 1504 y se embarco como grumete o marinereo en la nave capitana. Regreso a Espana, y en 1530 era, estante en la corte, esdecir se hallaba en Madrid. No sabia escribir.”

Translation:

His first and last name appears in documents written in various ways: Bozo de Raguza, Bojo de Aragujo etc. He was born in Araguz, Hungary in 1503-1504 and came aboard the “Capitana” (Santa Maria de la Concepcion) as a mariner or sailor. He returned to Spain in 1530 and was placed under court protection for testimony. He was in Madrid. He could not write.

French Sergeant of Marines

In the "Le Conseil De LaVie Francaise D' Amerique" papers in Quebec, Canada, an interesting entry appeared among the French Acadians who had settled in Louisiana: Georges Mathieu "Croatian", Sergeant of a company of Marines born around 1685. Married around 1708 to Marguerite Etheque and a child, Marguerite, in 1709. Every other entry listed the birth place and I believe "Croatian" is unmistakable in this case. This would be the earliest Croatian in America.

Pirate-”Liquor Salesman”

In Herbert Eugene Bolton's book "Athanse De Mezieres and the Louisiana-Texas Frontier, 1768-1780 - Spain in the West": A report was sent to the Governor by De Mezieres:

"Likewise I am informed by courier that the persons named Jeronimo Matulich and Juan Hamilton continue to make journeys to the mouth of the Trinity, buying horses and mules off the Indians who live there and who have joined recently thirty families of Coxos and Carancaoueys, Apostates and fugitives from our missions, attracted by the opportunity to barter; and now they get a small amount of money, I do not know whether stolen or found in some shipwreck. These traders go in by land as far as the Bidais Nation, and try to arouse the interior tribes."

De Mezieres further reports: "That a man named Matulich had gone to the mouth of the Neches River with a boat manned by ten men and there he was selling liquor to the Indians and maligning the governor." On August 8, 1774 the Governor ordered the arrest of Jeronimo Matulich but no further mention is made if he was actually caught and jailed. Matulich was an inhabitant of Mobile, Alabama and took the Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity to his Brittanic Majesty King George III in 1764. Matulich appeared in many court cases in New Orleans in the 1760's and 1770's dealing with piracy, indebtedness and other sundry matters.

Austrian Owned the Town

Joseph Bonjonos, or Bujenovich, an Austrian (Croatian), who lived under the assumed name of Antoine Andriche, but who was better known as "Quatre Escalins" (four bits) on account of his miserly propensities acquired the property now known as the Ferdinand Barrilleaux tract of (sic) and from the succession sale of Mrs. Elizabeth Mills, widow of William Fields, which was held on January 26 and 27, 1816. He also owned most of the town lots in Lockport, Louisiana except the front, but would never sell a lot, keeping them, as he said, for a cattle pasture. He led a miserly life and died, leaving no heirs, January 13, 1866. His estate, inventoried at $22,157.42, was sold by the state. To the Barataria and Lafourche Canal and to the progressive foresight of the oldest settler in this neighborhood is due the location of the present village of Lockport. On the 14th day of January, 1833, William Fields who was sole owner of all the land on both sides of Bayou Lafourche from the Georgia plantation to several miles below Lockport, donated to the Barataria and Lafourche Canal Company, a tract of land fronting five arpents on each side of the bayou and extending back a considerable distance. This donation was accepted by Charles Derbigny for the above named company as its president. The site was donated to the company for a town on condition that the Company was to complete the canal from New Orleans to Bayou Terrebonne. According to the "World Almanac and Encyclopedia" for 1898, the canal was completed in 1847. The locks uniting the New Orleans end of the canal with Bayou Lafourche were built in 1850.

Australian Fisherman-Grave Marker

“Mato Macela born in Vrucica Gornja March 24, 1846 in State of Dalmacia under the Australian flag came to the State of Louisiana in 1870. This vault is for Mr. Macela and his wife. Mr. Macela is not dad yet, but when he is dad this vault is to be sealed forever. This tomb is never to be sold None except those of white blood to be buried in this tomb.” Our Lady of Good Harbor Cemetery, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

Hungarian Slav Priest

The first cleric to become a member of the Redemptorist Order in America, Blessed John Neumann professed his vows in St. James' Church, Baltimore, in 1842 to the Very Reverend Alexander Czvitkovicz. Though the surname of Reverend Czvitkovicz is Slavic in nature, the Redemptorist scholar, Reverend John F. Byrne, refers to Rev. Czvitkovicz as a Hungarian who on March 11, 1841, arrived at Baltimore as Superior of the American mission. It seems that the name Czvitkovicz might well indicate one of the Slavic nationalities of Austria-Hungary and might not be Hungarian per se. He is a Croatian Cvitkovic.

Austrian US Navy Civil War Veteran

Jakov Mikulich, better known as Charlie from Sejska Rijeka, Croatia was an employee of Nicholas Buja. He was a young boy when he came to America on a sailing vessel, and as a young boy he enlisted in the United States Navy, year 1860, during the Civil War. He was real American. He enjoyed life to the utmost, was a stylish dresser and a great lover of race horses. He had his own business, was successful, and married an American girl. he passed away at the age of 85 years. A son of William Mikulich, well-known insurance broker with offices in the Mills Building, survives him. He was listed as an Austrian in the United States navy.

Sacramento Butch Gambler-Cardroom-Saloon-Restaurant-Military

Nationally known California gambler Frank Nisetich, nicknamed Sacramento Butch, is dead. Nisetich, so nicknamed because he once worked in the meat business, died of a heart attack Saturday at his home in this beach town near Santa Cruz. He would have been 89 Friday. His family came from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Nisetich retired 25 years ago after operating a Sacramento card room for many years. He is said to have become as widely known among gamblers as his New York friend and associate “Jack the Dancer.” The card room, which included a bar and restaurant, was patronized by top state officials and lobbyists. Nisetich didn’t always win. He once lost heavily at faro, a card game, to Nick the Greek. Another heavy loss involved a false tip that Seabiscuit, the famed San Francisco horse, was crippled and would not enter the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap. Nisetich also lost heavily one summer at Del Mar race track, after which he blamed a jockey ring for helping the favorite. A persistent card player while a soldier in France during World War I, Nisetich sent many bundles of money to his wife, Alma, just before the bloody Argonne Forest battle. He gained national attention n the gambling fraternity by handling action from overloaded books in New York, Miami, Chicago and New Orleans.

BIOGRAPHIES

I have been collecting, researching and writing biographies of Croatians in America and in the New World for over 25 years. All the Biographies are in English. I have over 1200 completed and edited Biographies. This also includes prominent Croatians who contributed to the world in general.

If any of the readers have Biographies of any sort, I would welcome them. Please give source of the Biography if available. I am filed in California as an Educational and Non-Profit Corporation. Just send them to me as open E-mail.

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

I am now completing a 150 page study on the Lost Colony, Croatoan, 1585-1590 at Roanoke, North Carolina and hope to prove Croatian participation. A General Index to Croatian Nobility will be completed this year. I am completing research that the discoverer of North America, John Cabot, could be Croatian; the historians cannot find his roots in Italy and he was a naturalized citizen of Venice. I will be completing Croatians in the Southern States of America, 1650-1950. I am completing research on the Contibutions of Croatian Fishermen in America and Croatian Gold and Silver Miners.

Any information, documents or help on the above would be appreciated.

All of the above has been accomplished and financed as a individual, not funded by any government or political body....in other words the “American Way”; private initiative and enterprise. Independence-Freedom.

Adam S. Eterovich

CFU 1983

Croatians@aol.com

www.croatians.com