Alfred Mouton

Jean-Jacques-Alfred-Alexandre "Alfred" Mouton (February 18, 1829 – April 8, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. Although trained at West Point, he soon resigned his commission to become a civil engineer and then a sugarcane grower, while also serving as a brigadier general in the Louisiana State Militia.

On the outbreak of the Civil War, he commanded the 18th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, where he proved a strict disciplinarian who was also notably friendly and sociable with the rank and file. Wounded at Shiloh, he was made a brigade commander under General Richard Taylor, with whom he successfully obstructed Union efforts to secure the Bayou Teche region of southern Louisiana. In the Red River Campaign, Mouton was killed at the Battle of Mansfield, while leading his men in a cavalry charge.

Mouton was born in Opelousas, Louisiana, the son of former Governor of Louisiana Alexandre Mouton. Alfred enrolled in St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. Upon his graduation from St. Charles College, Alexandre Mouton secured for Alfred an appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Alfred was hesitant to go at first because up until that point in his life he had been only around French-speaking people and customs; he knew little English and was not accustomed to speaking it. However, his father was adamant, and he was enrolled in 1846.

At West Point, Mouton was an average student scoring good marks in certain areas, including French, but it was evident that he struggled with the new language he was around. Alfred graduated from West Point on July 1, 1850, 38th out of 44 . He stayed with the United States Army just briefly before resigning his commission that September. As soon as he resigned his commission, Mouton took up a civil engineering position as an assistant engineer for the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad. He held that position from 1852 to 1853. After resigning from the railroad business, Mouton took up farming sugar cane in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana.

While living in Lafayette Parish, Mouton became a prominent member of the community due to his family connections. He served as leader of the Lafayette Vigilante Committee, a local militia company. Among the actions taken by the militia were running free blacks out of the parish for being involved in interracial relationships and whipping free blacks for giving alcohol to slaves. The vigilantes claimed that the victims were promoting a slave revolt.

Alfred also served as brigadier general in the Louisiana State Militia from 1850 to 1861.

At the age of 25, Alfred married his cousin Philomene in Lafayette. Philomene was the daughter of Alfred's uncle Jean Baptiste Mouton.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mouton organized a company of men from the local population in Lafayette Parish. The company consisted of mostly farmers from around the area. Mouton was elected captain of the company upon its organization. When the company was organized into the 18th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, he was elected colonel. Mouton quickly made a reputation for himself as a strict disciplinarian and an efficient drillmaster. However, after drill he mingled freely with his soldiers in camp, stopping to talk to anyone of the regiment. One of his soldiers had this to say about him: "As a drillmaster, he had few, if any, equals. I have seen him drill the regiment for an hour in a square, the sides of which ware equal to the length of his line of battle, without once throwing a company outside or recalling a command when given. He was a strict disciplinarian and allowed no deviation from orders either by officers or soldiers."