1 BN 2 Regiment Louisiana Volunteer Cavalry Scouts, USA Men of Calcasieu, Rapides, Vernon and Beauregard Parish Submitted by Bill McCullough Date: July 16, 2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ 1 BN 2 Regiment Louisiana Volunteer Cavalry Scouts, USA Men of Calcasieu, Rapides, Vernon and Beauregard Parish By William McCullough In April of 1864 after successive defeats by Confederate forces under the command of General Richard Taylor it was decided by Union Generals Banks and Franklin, that a force multiplier of cavalry scouts was needed to help counter the Confederate forces. General Franklin posted notice that a cavalry regiment of Louisiana men was being raised to perform scout duties for the Union Army. A blanket amnesty was offered to all those Louisiana men who were Confederate deserters, Jayhawkers and conscript evaders. Most of the men recruited were from Calcasieu and Rapides Parishes. To understand why men from this area would join this Union army unit, a look at the prevailing conditions need be considered. Most of the men who joined were farmers. Three years of war had ravished the country side with depredations, by both Union and Confederate forces, as well as Jayhawkers who, despite their beginnings, had deteriorated into criminal marauders and horse thieves. Farms were failing, families were close to starvation and killing was rampant; no one was safe regardless of who was responsible for the continuing mayhem. Conscription by Confederate “Home Guard” units sent men who were reluctant to abandon what little they had left, fleeing into the bayous and piney woods. The unit was officially formed on April 4, 1864 and would serve through the end of the war. My great greatgrandfather Isaac McCullough was one of the many men who joined and like many others he would not survive the war. The official records, as posted on the National Parks Service “Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System”, (CWSS), lists the initial strength as 531 men. In an effort to match the names in my family database I reviewed the CSW lists of men two separate times. I found a number of duplicate names due to various spellings of some soldiers last name. One example was my great grandfather Isaac McCullough being spelled – McCulloch, another example Haymon being spelled as Hamon. Within weeks of forming the unit was engaged against Confederate forces. The battle that was the first test of strength according to records I have found, was the Battle if Yellow Bayou which took place on May 18, 1864. The battle was fought on the grounds and areas surrounding the Norwood Plantation in Ayvolles Parish. Union forces under General Banks were in retreat after the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hills. Hoping to evade the Confederate forces General Banks arrived at the banks of the Atchafalaya River on May 17 with the intention of crossing to escape the Confederates. However, the Union forces were held up as engineers were hurrying to build a bridge over the river. General Taylor’s forces located nearby at Yellow Bayou was tasked with stopping the Federals. Taylor sent General Joseph Mower to interdict the Union forces. Initially Union forces pushed back the attacking Confederate forces who swiftly counter-attacked, forcing the Federals back. Union forces finally repulsed the Confederates after hours of back and forth engagement. Eventually the area caught fire from the amount of hot ordinance on the battle field and both armies were forced to withdraw. Total casualties were 860 men, (360 Union and 500 Confederate.) Yellow bayou was considered a Union victory in that it allowed the Federals to escape from Gen. Taylor’s forces. This was the last battle of General Banks ill fated Red River Campaign. The battle as I have described it is an annotated version taken from the CWSS website. The following is a short list of those men from those areas of Calcasieu and Rapides, that later became Vernon Parish. There are quite a few more area men who are among those listed in the rolls of the 1st Battalion. Those I have listed are men who have married with the extended McCullough families, or were known as close friends and neighbors. Soldiers Buried Jeptha Beesom, Pvt. Co. D. Unknown William T. Bounds, Pvt. Co. B, Unknown Hezikiah Haymon, Pvt. Co. B. Haymon - Watson Cem. Vernon Parish Joseph N. Haymon, Pvt. Co. B. Haymon - Vincent Cem. Vernon Parish Jerimiah J. Davis, Pvt. Co. B. Chalmette National Cemetery Jesse Davis, Pvt. Co. B. Unknown Daniel Davis, Pvt. Co. B. Unknown Ephraim Martin, Pvt. Co. B. Blue Branch Cem. Vernon Parish Zachariah Martin, Pvt. Co. B. Blue Branch Cem. Vernon Parish Isaac McCullough, Pvt. Co. B. Chalmette National Cemetery James Moses, Corpl. Co. B. Hopewell Cem. Beauregard Parish Marion Moses, Pvt. Co. B. Smyrna Cemetery, Beauregard Parish Caswell Pollard, Crpl. Co. B. Chalmette National Cemetery Ezekial Watson, Pvt. Co. B. Chalmette National Cemetery James B., (P), Watson, Pvt. Co. B. Chalmette National Cemetery Timothy Watson, Pvt. Co. B. Chalmette National Cemetery Thomas Watson, Corpl. Co.B. Chalmette National Cemetery William Watson, Pvt. Co. B. Haymon – Watson Cem. Vernon Parish William Smith, Pvt. Co. B. Chalmette National Cemetery Ephraim Sweat, Pvt. Co. B Occupy 1 Cemetery, Rapides Parish Dewitt C. Sweat, Pvt. Co. B. Unknown The men listed buried in Chalmette Cemetery, died between June and October, 1864 as a result of dysentery and measles. The other men listed died after the war. Also note. Most McCullough/McCollough families in Vernon and Beauregard Parish as well as areas of SE Texas, are descendants of Isaac McCullough. With regards to the Watson Brothers, Ezekial,(spelled as Hezikiah), Timothy, William, Thomas and James P., (sons of Reddick Watson); Timothy has been confused with his brother William’s son Timothy who died at Vicksburg, along with his brother Reddick, (not to be confused with his grandfather – mentioned above), and James P. Watson’s son, James P. Watson Jr. Those men served with the 27th Regiment Louisiana Infantry, CSA. Sources for the above were: 1. United States Civil War Center, Chalmette National Cemetery, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, National Parks Service, online. 2. The UsGenweb Louisiana Archives for Vernon Parish, online – Chere Lee, co-ordinator. 3. NPS, (National Parks Service), CWSS, (Civil War Sailors and Soldiers System). 4. National Archives Civil War Service Records, (for), Isaac McCullough, Daniel Davis and Jesse Davis, copies in my possession. The Isaac McCullough Decendancy Project, William McCullough Administrator. 5. Andrew Booth’s “Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers – Vol 1”, copy, (CD), in my possession.