Bound for the Pelican State

[FortyRounder]

Next year I'm planning to take a trip down to Louisiana to check archives and sites for research on Ben Butler's military governance. Do any of you familiar with that corner of the earth have any suggestions?

[Cpt Boone]

Re: Bound for the Pelican State

Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans. I believe either Tulane or UNO has CMH's document collection. Ask John Bangs or Patricia Ricci if you go there.

The Cabildo in New Orleans

Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge

Hope this helps.

[FortyRounder]

Re: Bound for the Pelican State

Thanks, Timothy.

[Cpt Boone]

Re: Bound for the Pelican State

Will,

Just get ahold of me when you come down and I will see what I can help you with.

[Silas]

Re: Bound for the Pelican State

Some reading material in the meantime :

General Butler in New Orleans: being a history of the administration of the Department of the Gulf in the year 1862 (published 1864)

[FortyRounder]

Re: Bound for the Pelican State

Silas: Parton's book is indeed a terrific source and I used it for a college paper. Some other, very entertaining, primary sources which are good for the spirit of the times include "Beauty and Booty: The Watchword of New Orleans" by Marion Southwood and "The Journal of Julia Le Grand." both of them can be downloaded at Google Books or Internet Archive, or at least they were available several months ago when I conducted research.

[Silas]

Re: Bound for the Pelican State

I stumbled across the book about Butler and New Orleans while reviewing the four volume(!) set of Butlers public and private letters. Butler's bellicose nature and talent for logic were used to the fullest when he was placed on a commission dealing with prisoner exchanges after being reassigned from field command in 1864.