BOUANCHAUD, Joseph L., Pointe Coup‚e Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 488-489. Edited by Alc‚e Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association. Bouanchaud, Joseph Lamartine, sheriff of Pointe Coup‚e parish, New Roads, La., was born in Pointe Coup‚e parish, June 24, 1872, son of Alcide and Eugenia (Hebert) Bouanchaud, the former of whom was born on Island of False river, in the same parish in which the birth of the son occurred, Aug. 16, 1838; son of a sturdy Breton immigrant, Pierre Bouanchaud, and a Creole lady whose maiden name was Charlotte Saizan. At the age of 14 years Alcide Bouanchaud was placed under the tutilage of Mr. H. Didier, who prepared him for college. Two years later he became a student at Elizabethtown, Ky., where he remained 2 years, during which time his principal instructor was the distinguished Gen. Lafayette Hewitt, who subsequently during a number of years occupied the office of state auditor of Kentucky. Between instructor and pupil, during this college experience, there was established a friendship that endured throughout life. Following his return from college young Bouanchaud entered the office of the clerk of court of Pointe Coup‚e parish as a deputy, discharging his duties with marked proficiency until his state made her first call for volunteers at the beginning of the Civil war. He was quick to respond, and took a prominent part till the formation of the Pointe Coup‚e artillery, of which he was elected lieutenant. The seat of war was scarcely reached before he had risen to the rank of captain, and from that time on his name and Pointe Coup‚e artillery became synonymous. Of his conduct in battle, a comrade-in-arms furnishes the following account: "The action of Capt. Alcide Bouanchaud 's command in front of Nashville, in the two days' desperate battle between Gen. Hood's army and that of Gen. Thomas, was the most gallant, heroic, and brilliant artillery fighting done during the war. The battalion to which Bouanchand's battery was attached was composed of three companies: Cowan's, of Vicksburg; Capt. Put. Darden's, of Jefferson county, Miss., and Bouanchaud's, of Louisiana. When the battle commenced on the first day, Cowan's Vicksburg battery was ordered from its strongly entrenched position near Bouanchaud and Darden to support a very weak position near our extreme left. Later, this position being strongly and desperately assaulted by the Federals, the infantry support to Cowan's battery precipitantly took flight, leaving Cowan. The latter attempted to save his guns, but the Federals, 3 or 4 columns deep, coming upon him too quickly, shot down all of his horses and captured the guns. Bouanchaud and Darden fought most desperately in their respective positions, but our infantry, not able to withstand the tremendous onslaught of Thomas, was leaving the works. At this critical stage Bouanchaud had the presence of mind to order up his horses from the rear, and that, too, under a most terrific fire. By this time our infantry was flying in all directions, and the Federals were throwing themselves against Bouanchaud and Darden in overwhelming force. They had already come over our works to the left of these two batteries, and now swept down upon the batteries, capturing Darden's guns, but Bouanchaud, lion-hearted and undismayed, had limbered up, and was retiring despite them. Under a most terrific, and not improbably the hottest fire that any command ever endured, he retired by sections, or fighting columns of the Federals, and thus, unaided and unsupported, Bouanchaud and his battery, single handed and alone, on an open field without protection or shelter of any kind, checked and held back the whole of Gen. Thomas' right. Our infantry, as I have stated, was flying in all directions, and there was not a single company going to Bouanchaud's assistance. Generals, colonels, and captains were cursing and pleading--even crying in vain--to our flying infantry to halt, form, and rally to that battery. An officer cried out: 'Shame, shame I Look at those brave artillerymen; see how calmly the drivers sit their horses under that awful fire! For God's sake rally to their support, or they will be lost.' The great Gen. Loring is one of the generals who was heard to utter such words, and it was one of his regiments, the gallant little 22nd Mississippi, that went to Bouanchaud's assistance. This timely aid enabled him to get his battery under cover behind a stone wall. The Federals, however, had suffered so much from Bouanchaud's deadly fire, that as night was coming on they discontinued their attack and made no further demonstration upon our lines until the next day. Capt. Bouanchaud and his Pointe Coup‚e battery undoubtedly saved Gen. Hood's army from being overwhelmingly routed in the first day's fight before Nashville. Gen. Loring, who is living at this time, and who was an eye-witness to the circumstances related, can vouch for the correctness of these statements. Bouanchaud was the only captain in our battalion that night who had a cannon left. He had all of his, uninjured and intact, but of his brave little French Pointe Coup‚e boys, many had poured out their blood and given their lives for the honor and glory of Louisiana. On the following day Bouanchaud's position was again fiercely assailed, but the attacks upon him from the front, though desperate, were in every instance disastrously repulsed. Late in the afternoon Hood's line gave way on the left, and the Federals, breaking over the works, came down upon Bouanchaud's battery, left flank and rear. Our infantry, and the whole army, in fact, was leaving the field, and retreating. Bouanchaud had exhausted all of his ammunition and there remained nothing more for him to do other than attempt saving the few remaining members of his command. he said: 'Men, we can do more; there is no use remaining here to be shot down or captured They went out of that hell, as it were, leaving the plain in front of where their guns had stood that day black with the dark blue uniform of the masses of the dead and dying enemy. Gen. Loring has said: 'To have served in either of the batteries of my command is glory enough for any one man. In my opinion, however, Capt. Bouanchaud's gallant conduct, and that of his famous battery, in the first day's fight before Nashville, has never in all the history of war been equaled, and can never possibly be surpassed.' '' Returning home when peace had come, Capt. Bouanchaud undertook planting, but at the first succeeding election he was chosen as clerk of court, which office he held until the adoption of the Constitution of 1868, when be was elected parish judge, being successively re‰lected and serving 12 years in this latter capacity. At one of these elections he received every ballot cast, with one single exception, and that was the vote of a personal friend. On the occasion of his last candidacy for the office, he became a candidate upon the written request of almost the entire bar of the parish. The Constitution of 1879 having abolished the office of parish judge, Judge Bouanchaud appeared before the supreme court at Opelousas and, after passing a creditable examination, was admitted to the practice of law, to which he afterward devoted his abilities with conspicuous success. Alcide Bouanchaud, besides being a courageous soldier, a clear headed commander, an impartial and just jurist, and an able advocate, also was an upright citizen, always taking an active interest in the public welfare and deporting himself as an accomplished gentleman of suave and pleasing manner, and always gladly welcomed in any society. His genial and charitable disposition made heavy drains upon his finances, and as a consequence he accumulated but little of this world's goods. In 1860 he married Miss Amelia Hebert, who died in 1869, leaving him father of 4 children, namely: Althee, who became the wife of J. B. Cazayoux, is now deceased; Delia, Ella, and Alcide, Jr., the last named also now deceased. Some years later Capt. Bouanchaud was married to Miss Eugenia Hebert, sister to his first wife, and to this second union 8 children were born, as follow in order of their birth: Jos. Lamartine, the subject of this sketch, Eugenia, Ada, Hewitt Leonidas, Lafayette, Maybel, Annabel, and Joseph Wade. After a brief illness, at 11 o'clock p. in., Saturday, Aug. 7, 1886, death closed the eyes of Capt. Bouanchaud in the peaceful seclusion of his home, surrounded by members of his family, and thus ended the lifetime labors of the best known and most widely popular citizen of Pointe Coup‚e parish. Jos. Lamartine Bouanchaud, first born of his father's second marriage, attended the public schools of the locality in which he was born, afterward becoming a clerk in a mercantile establishment in his home town, and later became manager of a mercantile establishment in Mississippi. After some time in this latter capacity he became a traveling salesman in Louisiana territory, so remaining during 4 years, at the expiration of which time he was made cashier and manager of the Bank of New Roads, La. This position be resigned in Oct., 1912, after being elected to the office of sheriff of Pointe Coup‚e parish. He now occupies this latter office and is also vice-president of the Bank of New Roads. Sheriff Bouanchaud is a member of the Catholic church and is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World. Jan. 30, 1894, Mr. Bouanchaud was married to Miss Olovia Samson, a daughter of Clement and Philomene (McDonald) Samson, of New Roads. Mrs. Bouanchaud's father, during a number of years, conducted a drug business at the last named city. His death occurred in 1892, and his wife's about 20 years earlier. To this union were born 2 children, namely: Roland, now a student at Louisiana State university; Winnie, a student of the State Normal school, and Oliver, also a student at Louisiana State university. The mother of these children died Aug. 25, 1899, and on May 15, 1902, Mr. Bouanchand was married to Miss Blanche Roy, a daughter of Antoine and Margaret (Hurst) Roy, of New Roads. The first named of the parents is now deceased, but is survived by his wife. The father followed the vocation of a farmer. To this second union 2 children have been born, viz.: Melba and Bernice, both of whom are now attending the public schools of New Roads.