Three of the six Fontenot brothers (left to right) Hypolite, Denis and Horthere of the “Opelousas Guards,” Company F., 8th Louisiana Infantry.
Hypolite O. Fontenot, Company F, 8th LA Infantry, enlisted March 30th, 1862 Opelousas, LA, residence Ville Platte, LA POW captured Rappahannock, VA, November 7th, 1863, exchanged March 10th, 1864, mortally wounded July 9th, 1864 and left in the enemy's hands, died August 5th from pneumonia (wounded at Frederick, MD).
All privates in the “Opelousas Guards,” Company F., 8th Louisiana Infantry. Identified (from left) as four of the six Fontenot brothers—Hypolite, Denis, Alexander, and Horthere—from Ville Platte, St. Landry’s Parish near Opelousas who served in the gallant 8th Louisiana, Army of Northern Virginia. Each of the Fontenots has placed his hand on the shoulder of his sibling making for an enduring composition rich in innocence and brotherly camaraderie. The two older boys, Denis and Alexander, survived the war; the younger two, Hypolite and Horthere in uniform, did not.
Alexander enlisted in the original Opelousas Guards at Camp Moore, La. in June 1861 while his brothers waited until March 1862 and were forwarded to the regiment in the field as “recruits.” The 8th Louisiana was engaged in the Valley fighting at the time and managed to replace heavy losses with drafts from back home. Records show Hypolite as “wounded” at Gettysburg July 2, 1863, and later that year captured at Rappahannock, Virginia on November 7. He was a POW at Point Lookout, Maryland until exchanged on March 10, 1864, rejoining his regiment.
The unfortunate Hypolite was “mortally wounded” on July 9, 1864 and “left in the enemy’s hand,” dying the next day in hospital. Denis was captured at Spotsylvania Court House on May 15, 1864 and paroled nine months later on February 25, 1865. He was stricken with small pox in April and sent to the US Hospital in Richmond where he recovered. Alexander had spent several months sick in Centerville, Virginia before being detailed as a brigade teamster with the Quartermaster Dept. for the duration.
At the end of the war he was hospitalized and released in June 1865 after signing his oath. Brother Horthere also spent most of his early service sick in the hospital in Lynchburg, Virginia being furloughed to Louisiana to recover. Horthere was then “present” at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg where he was “mortally wounded” July 2nd or 3rd and died shortly thereafter in a field hospital.
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The 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment
1861 June 15; Organized at Camp Moore, Louisiana. July 17; Arrived in Manassas. July 21; Reserve Guard at Manassas. ~ Became part of 1st Louisiana Brigade. Wintered in northern Virginia and in the spring joined General Stonewall Jackson's army in the Shenandoah Valley.
1862 May 23; Participated in the capture of Front Royal. May 25; Winchester. May 30; Part of the regiment captured at Front Royal. June 8; Limited action at Cross Keys. June 9; Port Republic. June 27; Gaines' Mill. July 1; Malvern Hill. August 27-28; Skirmish at Bristoe Station and Kettle Run. August 29; Drove back Federal attack at 2nd Manassas. September 1; Chantilly. September 17; 103 killed or wounded at Sharpsburg. December 13; In reserve at Fredericksburg.
1863 May 3-4; Marye's Heights and Salem Church. June 13-14; In reserve at Winchester. July 1; Helped route part of the Federal army near Gettysburg. July 2; Lost flag in attack on Cemetery Hill. October 9-22; Bristoe Station Campaign. November 7; 162 captured at Rappahannock Station.
1864 May 5; Battle of the Wilderness. May 12; Helped stop Federal attack that overran most of the entrenchments known as the Mule Shoe. June 1-3; Cold Harbor. July 9; Monocacy. July 24; Winchester. August 25; Shepherdstown. September 19; Winchester. September 21-22; Fisher's Hill. October 19; Cedar Creek. December; Returned to Petersburg.
1865 February-March; Petersburg. April 9; 3 Officers and 54 enlisted men surrendered at Appomattox.
The 8th Louisiana Regiment was organized June 15, 1861 at Camp Moore, Louisiana with 889 men. Companies of the regiment included; Company A (Creole Guards) of East Baton Rouge Parish, Company B (Bienville Rifles) of Orleans Parish, Company C (Attakapas Guards) of St. Martin Parish, Company D (Sumter Guards) of Orleans Parish, Company E (Franklin Sharpshooters) of Franklin Parish, Company F (Opelousas Guards) of St. Landry Parish, Company G (Minden Blues) of Claiborne Parish, Company H (Cheneyville Rifles) of Rapides Parish, Company I (Rapides Invincibles) of Rapides Parish and Company K (Phoenix Company) of Ascension Parish.
Of the 1,321 men enrolled in the regiment during the war, 252 were killed, 171 died if disease, 2 murdered, 1 died in an accident, and about 80 deserted.
https://sites.google.com/site/hardtackjournal/home/8th-louisiana/history
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