“The Little Napoleon” & His Josephines

DBF

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He had a name almost as big as he was. He stood five feet seven inches and weighed one hundred and fifty pounds. At first glance he looked “French” or “Foreign” with his dark hair and olive complexion. Some people thought his eyes looked like the eyes of a blood hound just waiting for an opportunity to leap into action. Some believed that he traveled with a bevy of beauties and champagne for he was a charmer of women and unfaithful to his wife. He lacked no attention from his adoring female fans and was always receiving gifts, letters, flags and flowers. He was Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard.

In 1818 he was born in a French Creole family on a sugar-cane plantation “Contreras” which is located in St. Bernard Parish nearly twenty outside New Orleans. Until the age of twelve he only spoke French learning English when he attended a school in New York City. He was born with a love of the military in his blood, he excelled at West Point graduating second in a class of forty-five. With his military bearing and French accent he acquired the nickname “The Little Napoleon”.

Marie Antoinette Laure Villeré, was the daughter of Jules Gabriel Villeré (1794-1866) and a member of one of the more prominent Creole families in southern Louisiana. Her father had bought the plantation Magnolia in 1836 and made it into a prosperous enterprise. His son and Marie’s brother Charles would serve in the Confederate Cabinet. In September of 1841 Jules’ daughter married P G T Beauregard. While living at her father’s plantation the Beauregard’s celebrated the births of their sons: Rene (1843-1910) and Henri (1845-1915). Magnolia turned into a location where Beauregard came to relax from the stress of life. His son Rene recalled many evenings the small family spent along the home on the Mississippi watching the moonbeam shimmer across the river. Sadness came upon the family when on March 21, 1850, Marie died giving birth to her daughter Laure who survived. Marie was twenty-six and a devastated thirty-two Beauregard was left to carry on with three small children. Marie Beauregard was buried in the family cemetery. Beauregard had the following inscription on her tomb:​

“Spirit from Heaven, there you have returned.
Sleep in peace, daughter, wife and dear mother”.
{2}

* * *

Caroline Deslonde was born in 1831 and was also the daughter of a sugar planter. Her father Andre Deslonde (1784-1865) was a veteran of the War of 1812 and owned a large plantation at Belle Pointe, Laplace Louisiana, She was one of four sisters and has been described as of the four beautiful sisters she was “plain and plump” {2}. In 1860 Caroline married P G T Beauregard. They honeymooned at 1113 Chartres Street in New Orleans in today what is called the Beauregard-Keyes House.

Once again the marriage connected Beauregard to influential Louisiana residents with Caroline’s oldest sister Mathilde (1800-1870) married to John Slidell (1793-1817) making them brother-in-law and of course it was John Slidell that in November of 1861 was one of the two Confederate diplomats involved in the Trent Affair.

Along with this union came Beauregard’s three children from his first wife. He was devoted to his young daughter, Laure, whose mother had died giving birth to her. It was the impression of historians that Beauregard, now forty-two years old, never got over the loss of his first love and wife thus making it a difficult relationship with his twenty-nine year old wife Caroline.

It was in March of 1862 when Beauregard now in Florida received a telegram informing him of the death of Caroline in New Orleans. He immediately left to return home.​

The Northern-leaning newspaper in New Orleans wrote - -​

“Mrs. Beauregard’s condition had been exacerbated by the traitorous actions of her husband. This so fanned negative popular opinion in New Orleans that 6000 people attended her funeral, and Union General Nathaniel Banks provided a steamer to carry her body up river for burial in her native parish. Beauregard wrote that he would like to rescue “her hallowed grave” at the head of an army.” {3}

The couple never had children nor would the twice widowed Beauregard ever marry again.

* * *

After the war, General Beauregard returned to New Orleans soil on May 21. He eventually rented space where five years earlier he had honeymooned with Caroline, the home on 1113 Chartres Street. He was joined by his three children as well as other family members. He did not secure his pardon until July 4, 1868. {3} He was aware of other Confederate officers accepting military positions abroad and although he briefly thought about the prospect in 1875 he “definitely” decided to remain in the United States.

He was employed as president of the New Orleans railroad and later served as Commissioner of the Louisiana Lottery, always staying close to his children, especially his daughter, Laure. Heartbreak came to Beauregard in 1884 when Laure died at thirty-four years of age. Four years later he lost Laure’s seven year old daughter Lillian when she died in 1888. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard died February 20, 1893 and was given a state funeral.

It appears during the course of his brief marriage to Caroline, Beauregard was aware of his wife’s frail health. He had not received a letter from her from December of 1861 and as he wrote to her sister, Julia:

“My poor Caroline must have often asked herself on her bed of pain if she would ever see me again, and, more than once in her agony, her wandering thoughts must have directed themselves toward these battle lines in order to bid me an eternal goodbye. I will know that her beautiful soul, her generous and patriotic heart preferred the salvation of the country to the job of seeing me." {2}

It was reported that when Caroline died he had a “special” message etched on her tomb stone and it contains the last message explaining to Julia how Caroline understood his service - with these simple words:​

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Beauregard-Keyes House



* * * * * * *




Sources
1. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/pgt-beauregard
2. “P.G.T. Beauregard Napoleon in Gray”, by T. Harry Williams
3. The Romance of the Toutant Beauregard", by Daughters of the American Revolution, Grace King, 1937:
4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73828064/marie_antoinette-laure-beauregard
5.
http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/plaquemines/history/magnolia.txt
6. https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2009/05/caroline-beauregard.htm
7.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24235165/marguerite-%22caroline%22-beauregard
8. https://www.bkhouse.org/about1-c12li
Photos - Public Domain
 
Ah, @DBF , this story of Beauregard is so exotic ... no doubt the element of French with the beautiful names and the location make it stand out. Louisiana has garnered a place in my heart after visiting and finding it such an intriguing place with so much to recommend it. Beauregard has much tragedy attached to his life both pre and post CW. Losing his beloved wife, his daughter and her daughter, all of whom it appears he adored ... although it seems his sons lived good lives ... how tragic. To marry again and lose his second wife. Perhaps the thought of marrying a third time after all that never appealed to him. Thank you for another fascinating thread.
 
I'm always amazed when I take a deeper dive into the "softer" side of these men that were so brave in battles and so vulnerable in life.
You do a great job of researching and bringing out the many sides to their stories. I've definitely learned a lot from your posts.

Thank you for all your hard work!
 
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