Texans on the Teche: Civil War Sites in South Louisiana,October 26-30, 2017

Love the last pic. 8th LA flag Beinville rifles. Our re-enactment group helped raise money to have the flag restored back in late 90's. That was last time I visited the museum for the presentation. Have wanted to go back. Thanks for posting a pic of it.
 
Love the last pic. 8th LA flag Beinville rifles. Our re-enactment group helped raise money to have the flag restored back in late 90's. That was last time I visited the museum for the presentation. Have wanted to go back. Thanks for posting a pic of it.
Outstanding! The Director that gave the presentation to us told us that some flags had been restored by fundraising drives such as that and they still allow that for groups/individuals that want to do that. They didn't/don't have any Texas flags in need of restoration or a fundraising drive woulda started that night.
 
A display at Confederate Memorial Hall that they are particularly proud of,as they should be,is a beautiful old case containing the uniforms of 4 Confederate Generals. From left to right: Gen. Daniel Adams,Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, Gen. Braxton Bragg and Gen. Franklin Gardner.

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Our first stop on Friday 10/27 was Oak Alley Plantation,right on the Mississippi River in St. James Parish,between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. It is a very old,large antebellum plantation home and was a huge sugar cane plantation at one time. There are a lot of old plantation homes along that stretch of the Mississippi River.

https://www.oakalleyplantation.org/

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Here is why it's called "Oak Alley". At some point after it was first built,someone planted a row of oak trees on either side of the path leading from the river to the front of the house. The trees are still there and they are massive. The last picture is from the balcony on the second floor looking towards the river. The river levee is on the other side of the road.

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Here is why it's called "Oak Alley". At some point after it was first built,someone planted a row of oak trees on either side of the path leading from the river to the front of the house. The trees are still there and they are massive. The last picture is from the balcony on the second floor looking towards the river. The river levee is on the other side of the road.

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Tex, the trees actually pre-date the house by more than 100 years. They are now more than 300 years old!

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Tex, the trees actually pre-date the house by more than 100 years. They are now more than 300 years old!

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Thanks. I was posting from memory. I jotted some notes down when we got back on the tour bus. We were there probably and hour and a half and it was a lotta info to take in.
 
Thanks. I was posting from memory. I jotted some notes down when we got back on the tour bus. We were there probably and hour and a half and it was a lotta info to take in.
Oh I know. But that is one of the big mysteries, who planted them, and it makes the whole story that much more interesting. It is a spectacular setting, you just can’t visualize the enormity of those trees and that alley until you stand in it.
 
Oh I know. But that is one of the big mysteries, who planted them, and it makes the whole story that much more interesting. It is a spectacular setting, you just can’t visualize the enormity of those trees and that alley until you stand in it.
I found this pic on the web, a rare one that shows a person next to one of the oaks for scale.

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Oh I know. But that is one of the big mysteries, who planted them, and it makes the whole story that much more interesting. It is a spectacular setting, you just can’t visualize the enormity of those trees and that alley until you stand in it.
I know that too. Pics don't really do it justice.
 
The back side of the plantation home:

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The original plantation bell is on the left side of the house:

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One exhibit on the grounds of Oak Alley Plantation is called Gen. Taylor's HQ Tent. I only got one good shot that didn't have the air conditioning unit in it. There are usually some living history people there which I guess explains the a/c unit. :D Sorta odd that they have that exhibit. As far as I know,Gen. Taylor was never HQed there.

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As a group,we went on a tour of the inside of the plantation and got a good history lesson from a guide in period clothing. We ate lunch there too and they have a pretty good gift shop. I think I bought a nice,laminated area map. Love maps. There's a slavery exhibit on the grounds of the plantation too.

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I've not visited many Plantations, if any as we always seem to be hurtling pass them on the way to another Battlefield.
A few years back we visited New Orleans , Mansfield and Sabine pass on our way to San Antonio and the Alamo , wish now we had made time to do more. Great Pics.
 
One exhibit on the grounds of Oak Alley Plantation is called Gen. Taylor's HQ Tent. I only got one good shot that didn't have the air conditioning unit in it. There are usually some living history people there which I guess explains the a/c unit. :D Sorta odd that they have that exhibit. As far as I know,Gen. Taylor was never HQed there.

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Richard Taylor inherited Fashion Plantation 25 miles or so downriver from Oak Alley at what is now Hahnville. The home was sacked by Yanks in 1862 and he never returned. The place is now a subdivision. I’m sure he knew all the other prominent people in the area and considered a local boy done well.

Interesting piece about his treatment of slaves there:

General Zachary Taylor was elected President in 1848 and died suddenly on July 09, 1850, effectively leaving his son Richard as one of Louisiana's most prominent planters. Richard married Louise Marie Myrtle ("Mimi") Bringier, the daughter of a prominent French creole family, on February 10, 1851. Together, they had four children: Louise Margaret, Elizabeth (known as Betty), Zachary (known as Zack), and Richard (whom his mother nicknamed Dixie).

In 1853, Frederick Law Olmstead, a writer for the New York Times, visited Fashion while traveling the South. Olmstead's series of articles about his travels was savage in its description of the South and the institution of slavery, but the writer praised Richard Taylor and his practices. Upon assuming ownership of Fashion, all of the old slave cabins were ordered torn down, with new domiciles built complete with wooden floors and verandahs. All of the slaves were reported to be well clothed for all seasons and that they ate from the same stores and gardens as the Taylor family. A physician was held on retainer to provide them medical care and retired slaves were allowed separate gardens to tend from which they were paid for their produce. The slaves were given Sundays off from their labors and received time off for holidays and special events such as weddings or funerals. Richard Taylor even distributed one dollar to each slave family on his plantation for each hogshead of sugar produced which was to be spent as they wished. Olmstead noted a genuine affection that seemed to exist between the Taylor family and their slaves.

http://www.usskidd.com/taylor.html
 
Richard Taylor inherited Fashion Plantation 25 miles or so downriver from Oak Alley at what is now Hahnville. The home was sacked by Yanks in 1862 and he never returned. The place is now a subdivision. I’m sure he knew all the other prominent people in the area and considered a local boy done well.

Interesting piece about his treatment of slaves there:

General Zachary Taylor was elected President in 1848 and died suddenly on July 09, 1850, effectively leaving his son Richard as one of Louisiana's most prominent planters. Richard married Louise Marie Myrtle ("Mimi") Bringier, the daughter of a prominent French creole family, on February 10, 1851. Together, they had four children: Louise Margaret, Elizabeth (known as Betty), Zachary (known as Zack), and Richard (whom his mother nicknamed Dixie).

In 1853, Frederick Law Olmstead, a writer for the New York Times, visited Fashion while traveling the South. Olmstead's series of articles about his travels was savage in its description of the South and the institution of slavery, but the writer praised Richard Taylor and his practices. Upon assuming ownership of Fashion, all of the old slave cabins were ordered torn down, with new domiciles built complete with wooden floors and verandahs. All of the slaves were reported to be well clothed for all seasons and that they ate from the same stores and gardens as the Taylor family. A physician was held on retainer to provide them medical care and retired slaves were allowed separate gardens to tend from which they were paid for their produce. The slaves were given Sundays off from their labors and received time off for holidays and special events such as weddings or funerals. Richard Taylor even distributed one dollar to each slave family on his plantation for each hogshead of sugar produced which was to be spent as they wished. Olmstead noted a genuine affection that seemed to exist between the Taylor family and their slaves.

http://www.usskidd.com/taylor.html
That's good stuff. That stretch of road right there along the river is very scenic.
 
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