MILITARY HISTORY
                         Vermilion, LA 
   
Contributed by Margaret Rentrop Moore
Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical & Historical by William
Henry Perrin; published 1891 pages 250.



**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 
 


     

 Military History Ä The patriotism of this section 
was shown for the American government in the war of 1812. 
A large number of men from what is now Vermilion parish 
took part.  Two companies were largely made up among the 
people here.  The following names have been collected as 
having served in those companies: Jean F. Bourque, Pierre
Desormeaux, Charles Harrington, Wm. Harrington, John B. 
Theall, P. P. Thibodeaux, Abram Abshire, Pierre Laponte, 
Vidal Laponte, Zepherin Trahan.
     Of the two companies named here, they were commanded by
Capt. Robert Perry, and Capt. Shadrach Porter. Two of the 
widows of these old soldiers are known to be living,and are
drawing pensions; Zepherin Trahan is also living,and enjoying
good health. Of the Mexican war we have no data on this parish.
        The war between the States comes next. Of all the wars
that have ever disturbed the peace of the world, a civil war
is the most direful. The rival houses of York and Lancaster, 
with their emblems of "White" and "Red," shook old England
to her center, filling her houses with mourning, her fields
with carnage, and wasting blood of her bravest and best; but
compared to our "war between the State" it is dwarfed into
insignificance. A perfect history of our late civil war has 
never been written; it never can be written. Were the "pen 
dipped in the gloom of eathquake and eclipse,"  it could not
write a true history of those four long years of strife. A11
the evils of war, and all the horrors of civil war crowded
into them. But as in the union of "the roses," was found the 
germ of England's future greatness and resplendent glory, so
in the harmonious blending of the Blue and Gray - well, who 
shall dare limit the greatness and glory of America.
                                                                  
     The first company for late war from this parish was 
that of Capt. White.  They were stationed at the mouth of 
the Mermentau River, with two pieces of cannon, six and
twenty-four pounders.  They served only  six months, and 
as their time was up, they disbanned and  returned home.
    Many of Vermilion's heroes left and went to other
parts and enlisted there for the war. A company was raised
bt Capt. A. Berard, L.M. Bernard, first lieutenant, and 
G. S. Nunez, second lieutenant, and joined Fournet's 
Battalion.  Besides this one or two companies of Home Guards
were raised, which did duty in the parish.