A French Louisianian Confederate

Confederate General Jean Jacques Alfred Alexandre Mouton was killed leading a charge April 8^th 1864 during the Battle of Mansfield.

Jean Jacques Alfred Alexandre Mouton was born February 10^th 1829 in Opelousas, Louisiana, the son of Alexandre Mouton, a former Governor of Louisiana.  He attended St Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, and following his graduation, received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.  His trip north would be the first time Mouton was exposed langue and customs other than French.  He was an average student and struggled with English, but graduated from the Military Academy in 1850, ranking 38 out 44.  Shortly after graduating Mouton resigned his commission and took a post as an assistant engineer for the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad.  In 1853 Mouton left this position to become a grower of sugar cane in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana.  He was also at that time a Brigadier General in Louisiana State Militia.

When the Civil War started Mouton organized a company from Lafayette Parish, and was elected the Captain of the company which would become part of the 18^th Louisiana Infantry.  He would be elected Colonel of the 18^th, and set to making them a disciplined regiment.  One of his soldiers said of Mouton, "As a drillmaster, he had few, if any, equals. I have seen him drill the regiment for an hour in a square, the sides of which were equal to the length of his line of battle, without once throwing a company outside or recalling a command when given. He was a strict disciplinarian and allowed no deviation from orders either by officers or soldiers."  The first action for Mouton and the 18^th was at the Battle of Shiloh, where they took on Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops and where Mouton was wounded.  Back in Louisiana, Mouton and 18^th took part in the Battle of Labadieville.  Mouton’s Louisiana brigade was part of Confederate force that kept the Union out of the Bayou Teche area of Louisiana.

At the Battle of Mansfield Mouton’s men were the lead unit in the Confederate attack.  It was while in the lead that Mouton was shot and killed on April 8^th 1864.  He was buried on the battlefield, but in 1874 Mouton’s body was moved to St John’s Cemetery in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Retreat On The River

As Union Major General Nathaniel P Banks made his retreat at the end of the Red River Campaign, the Battle of Yellow Bayou was fought on May 18^th 1864.

Following the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, Union Major General Nathaniel P Banks’ retreat reached the Atchafalaya River on May 17^th 1864.  If he could get across the river his force would be protected from Confederate harassment, but he had to wait for the engineers to build a bridge.

On May 18^th 1864 Confederate Major General Richard Taylor neared Yellow Bayou.  Banks order Union Brigadier General AJ Smith to meet and stop them, he ordered Brigadier General Joseph A Mower to make the movement.  The fight commenced with first one side then the other pushing forward or giving up ground for several hours.  Finally the ground over which they were fighting caught fire and both sides were forced to retire.

This battle ended Banks’ Red River Expedition.  The Union troops sustained 360 casualties, while the Confederates lost 500.