Collection Summary
G. T. Beauregard
Papers 1844-1883
(bulk 1861-1865)
1844-1883
(bulk 1861-1865)
MSS12203
Beauregard, G. T. (Gustave Toutant), 1818-1893
6,500 items
54 containers
5.6 linear feet
9 microfilm reels
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
United States and Confederate Army officer, engineer, railroad executive, and public official. Correspondence, scrapbooks, and military papers, including letterbooks, headquarters records, telegrams and dispatches, orders, endorsements, and rosters. The bulk of the papers, 1861-1865, relate primarily to Beauregard's career as a general in the Confederate Army, especially at Fort Sumter and Charleston, South Carolina; Manassas and Petersburg, Virginia; Shiloh, Tennessee; Corinth, Mississippi; and Atlanta, Georgia. Other topics include Beauregard's work as an engineer, public official, and railroad executive in New Orleans and his service under General Winfield Scott in the Mexican War.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Beauregard, G. T. (Gustave Toutant), 1818-1893.
Bonham, Milledge L. (Milledge Luke), 1813-1890--Correspondence.
Bragg, Braxton, 1817-1876--Correspondence.
Cobb, Howell, 1815-1868--Correspondence.
Cooper, Samuel, 1798-1876--Correspondence.
Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889--Correspondence.
Evans, Augusta J. (Augusta Jane), 1835-1909--Correspondence.
Hampton, Wade, 1818-1902--Correspondence.
Hardee, William Joseph, 1815-1873--Correspondence.
Hill, D. H. (Daniel Harvey), 1821-1889--Correspondence.
Hood, John Bell, 1831-1879--Correspondence.
Johnston, Joseph E. (Joseph Eggleston), 1807-1891--Correspondence.
Jordan, Thomas, 1819-1895--Correspondence.
Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870--Correspondence.
Longstreet, James, 1821-1904--Correspondence.
Pickens, F. W. (Francis Wilkinson), 1805-1869--Correspondence.
Polk, Leonidas, 1806-1864--Correspondence.
Ripley, R. S. (Roswell Sabine), 1823-1887--Correspondence.
Scott, Winfield, 1786-1866.
Totten, Joseph Gilbert, 1788-1864--Correspondence.
Van Dorn, Earl, 1820-1863--Correspondence.
Walker, Leroy Pope, 1817-1884--Correspondence.
Organizations
Confederate States of America. Army.
United States. Army.
Subjects
Atlanta Campaign, 1864.
Bull Run, 1st Battle of, Va., 1861.
Engineering--Louisiana--New Orleans.
Lotteries--Louisiana.
Mexican War, 1846-1848.
Railroads--Louisiana--New Orleans.
Shiloh, Battle of, Tenn., 1862.
Places
Charleston (S.C.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Charleston (S.C.)--History--Siege, 1863.
Corinth (Miss.)--History--Siege, 1862.
Fort Sumter (Charleston, S.C.)--Siege, 1861.
Georgia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Mississippi--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
New Orleans (La.)--Officials and employees.
Petersburg (Va.)--History--Siege, 1864-1865.
South Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Tennessee--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Occupations
Army officers, Confederate.
Engineers.
Public officials--Louisiana.
Provenance
The greater part of the papers of G. T. Beauregard, United States and Confederate Army officer, engineer, railroad executive, and public official, was purchased by the Library of Congress in 1915. Other items were donated or purchased from 1909 to 1972.
Processing History
The Beauregard Papers were processed in 1963. An addition was made in 1978, and the collection was prepared for microfilming in 1984. The finding aid was revised in 2003.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of G. T. Beauregard is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of G. T. Beauregard are open to research.
Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to
visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to
retrieve these items for research use.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of these papers is available on nine reels. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning
availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the
originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition as
available.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, G. T. Beauregard Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1818, May 28
Born near New Orleans, La.
1838
Graduated, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
1841
Married Laure Villere
1846
Served as an engineer on staff of General Winfield Scott in Mexico
1847
Took part in Mexican War battles of Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and Mexico City
1853
Promoted to captain, United States Army
1858
1861
Chief engineer in charge of draining the site of New Orleans, La.
1860
Married Caroline Deslonde
1861
Superintendent of United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., for five days
Resigned from United States Army
Appointed brigadier general, Confederate Army, in command of forces at Charleston, S.C.
Commanding officer, Department of Alexandria
Commanding officer, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
Promoted to general, Confederate Army
1862
Assistant to General Albert Sidney Johnston, Confederate Army
Commander, Army of the Mississippi
Commanding officer, Western Department
Commander, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, with headquarters at Charleston, S.C.
1864
Commander, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia, Confederate Army
Commander, Military Division of the West
1865
Named second in command to General Joseph E. Johnston
Chief engineer and general superintendent, New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad
1866
1870
President, New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad
1866
1876
President, New Orleans & Carrollton Railroad Co.
1877
1893
Supervisor, Louisiana lottery
1879
Adjutant general of Louisiana
1888
Commissioner of public works, New Orleans, La.
1893, Feb. 20
Died, New Orleans, La.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (1818-1893) consist of a [diary](di), [personal letterbooks](per), military records, the manuscript of "Reminiscences" which served as the basis for Alfred Roman's
The Military Operation of General Beauregard
(1884), [ scrapbooks](scrap), and miscellaneous material spanning the years 1844-1883. All but a few items are dated during or concern the Civil War.
The few early items in the collection relate to Beauregard's career as an engineer in New Orleans and on the staff of General Winfield Scott in Mexico, where Beauregard took part in the siege of Vera Cruz and the battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and Mexico City. The bulk of the correspondence, the military papers, and the "Reminiscences" relate to Beauregard's service as an officer of the Confederate Army. He was in command of the troops at Charleston, South Carolina, when the Civil War began with the siege of Fort Sumter. The papers also document his role in the battles of First Manassas and Shiloh, in the sieges of Corinth, Charleston, and Petersburg, and in the consolidation of Southern forces after the battle of Atlanta.
Material on Beauregard's career as a railroad executive and public official in New Orleans and supervisor of the Louisiana lottery can be found in his letterbooks. Three volumes of [scrapbooks ](scrap)of newspaper clippings are devoted almost exclusively to the Civil War.
Principal correspondents include Milledge L. Bonham, Braxton Bragg, Howell Cobb, Samuel Cooper, Jefferson Davis, Augusta J. Evans, Wade Hampton, William Joseph Hardee, Daniel Harvey Hill, John Bell Hood, Joseph E. Johnston, Thomas Jordan, Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, F.W. Pickens, Leonidas Polk, R. S. Ripley, Joseph Gilbert Totten, Earl Van Dorn, and Leroy Pope Walker.
Organization of the Papers
The collection is arranged in six series:
-
[Diary, 1847](di)
-
[Personal letterbooks, 1844-1880](per)
-
[Headquarters Records, 1861-1865](head)
-
[Miscellaneous Record Books, 1862-1869](mis)
-
[Scrapbooks, 1861-1870](scrap)
-
[Miscellaneous Unbound Material, 1860-1879](misce)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm78012203]
Container List
Available on microfilm. Shelf no. 19,007
Box
Reel
Contents
1
1
Diary, 1847
1847
Beauregard's diary.
1
1
1847, Jan. 14-Sept. 12
2-12
1-2
Personal letterbooks, 1844-1880
1844-1880
Copies of correspondence.
Arranged chronologically.
2
1
1844, June 19-1846, Dec. 26
3
1
1846, Nov. 26-1847, Mar. 1
4
1
1861, Mar. 4-May 25, also includes "Record of Fort Sumter"
5
1
1861, Mar. 1-1863, Dec. 8
6
1
1861, June 30-1863, Feb. 9
7
1
1865, Dec. 16-1867, Apr. 18
8
1
1867, Apr. 19-1869, Feb. 4
9
1
1869, Feb. 6-1872, Feb. 5
10
2
1872, Feb. 28-1875, Dec. 1
11
2
1875, Dec. 4-1880, Mar. 24
12
2
1880, Mar. 9-1883, Dec. 5
13-46
2-7
Headquarters Records, 1861-1865
1861-1865
Letterbooks, telegrams, dispatches, endorsement books, order books, transfer books, registers, and rosters.
Arranged alphabetically by military department or division and therein by type of material.
13
2
Department of Alexandria, Army of the Potomac, Army of the Mississippi, Western Department, and Department No. 2
Letterbook "A," 1861
Department of Alexandria, June 1-20
Army of the Potomac, June 21-Dec. 31
14
3
Letterbook "B," 1862
Army of the Potomac, Jan. 2-29
Army of the Mississippi, Jan. 29-May 6
Western Department, May 7-June 25
Department No. 2, June 26-Sept. 9
15
3
Letterbook "C," 1862
Army of the Mississippi, Apr. 1-May 26
Western Department, May 7-June 25
Department No. 2, June 26-Aug. 27
16
3
Summary of letters received, 1861, Dec 29-1862, Aug. 29
17
4
Telegram book "A," Army of the Mississippi, 1862, Feb. 17-Apr. 24
18
4
Telegram book "B," Army of the Mississippi, 1862, Apr. 25-June 18
19
4
Telegram book (transcripts), Army of the Mississippi (Thomas Jordan and Braxton Bragg), 1862, June 19-Aug. 11
20
4
Endorsement book, 1862
Army of the Potomac, Jan. 3-30
Army of the Mississippi, Mar. 7-May 6
Western Department, May 7-July 13 (kept by Braxton Bragg June 18-July 13)
21
4
Order book, 1861
General orders, June 2-Dec. 24
Special orders, June 4-Dec. 31 (Department of Alexandria and Army of the Potomac)
22
5
Special order book, 1862, Jan. 2-Aug. 27
Army of the Potomac
Army of the Mississippi
Western Department No. 2 (Thomas Jordan for Beauregard and Braxton Bragg)
23
5
Transfer book, 1861, June 7-1862, Nov. 27
24
5
Register, 1861, June 9-1862, July 31
25
5
Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida
Letterbooks, 1862
Aug. 21-Sept. 30
26
5
Oct. 1-31
27
5
Nov. 1-30
28
6
Dec. 1-31
29
6
Field telegram and dispatches, 1862, Oct. 21-1863, Feb. 2; 1864, Jan 24-Nov. 15. Includes Department of the West
1864, Oct. 3-Nov. 15
30
6
Letterbook and telegram book (transcripts), 1864
Letters, Apr. 22-Sept. 22; Nov. 15
Telegrams, Jan. 17-Feb. 2; Apr. 25-June 3. Includes Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, Jan. 17-Feb. 2
31
6
Letterbook, 1864, Apr. 22-May 30
32
6
Letterbook "B," kept by John M. Ortez, assistant inspector general, 1864, May 30-July 9
33
6
Letterbook, kept by Thomas Jordan, assistant inspector general, 1864, July 10-Oct. 2
34
6
Telegram book, 1864, Apr. 22-June 9
35
7
Endorsement book "A," 1864, Apr. 23-Sept. 27
36
7
Roster of officers, 1864
37
7
Military Division of the West
Letterbook "A"
1864, Oct. 11-Dec. 31
38
7
1865, Jan. 4-Mar. 16
39
7
1865, Feb. 11-Apr. 10
40
7
Letterbook of Henry Bryan, assistant inspector general, 1864, Nov. 30-1865, Mar. 9
41
7
Telegram book "C," 1864, Dec. 3-1865, Mar. 18
42
7
Special orders, 1864, Oct. 18-Dec. 30
43
7
Special field orders, 1864, Oct. 23-1865, Mar. 6
44
7
Endorsement books
1864, Oct. 3-Dec. 31
45
7
1865, Jan. 1-Mar. 17
46
7
Organization of Military Division of the West, 1864-1865
47-49
7-8
Miscellaneous Record Books, 1862-1869
1862-1869
A register containing entries for various Confederate military units, two volumes containing copies of letters, and notes and genealogical and biographical material.
47
7
Register
First Corps, Army of the Potomac, pp. 5-115, 1862, Jan.
List of generals and lieutenant generals, p. 116, 1863, Jan. 1
General officers, Army of the Mississippi, p. 118, undated
Army of the Potomac, pp. 124-126, 1862, Jan. 31
General officers, Department of Northern Virginia, p. 127, 1862
Return of the First Corps, Army of the Potomac, p. 128, 1862, July 21
"Yankee" Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Manassas, pp. 129-130, undated
Force at Battle of Shiloh, pp. 131-133, 1862, Apr. 6-7
Confederate forces that retreated from Corinth, Miss., pp. 155-160, 1862, May 27
Army of the Mississippi (Braxton Bragg), pp. 161-163, undated
Officers of the different military courts, pp. 166-167, 1862
Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, pp. 168-244, [1862?]
48
8
Miscellaneous Book, 1861-1865
Copies of letters, 1861, Jan. 23-1865, Apr. 27
Miscellaneous Book, 1865-1869
49
8
Notes on Edward Albert Pollard's
The Lost Cause: A New Southern History of the War of the Confederates,
1867
Notes on Horace Greeley's
The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-64
, 1865
Genealogical and biographical notes on Beauregard, 1869
Cash accounts, 1865, Jan.-Mar.
50-52
8
Scrapbooks, 1861-1870
1861-1870
Scrapbooks.
Arranged in approximate chronological order.
50
8
Vol. 1, 1861-1862
51
8
Vol. 2, 1861-1864
52
8
Vol. 3, 1861-1870
53-54
8-9
Miscellaneous Unbound Material, 1860-1879
1860-1879
Correspondence, notes, reports, and calling cards.
Arranged by type of material.
53
8-9
General correspondence, 1860-1879, undated
Book file, "Reminiscences," notes, undated
Narrative
(8 folders)
54
9
(2 folders)
Charleston, S.C.
(4 folders)
Petersburg, Va.
(2 folders)
Military papers, reports, 1861-1865
Miscellany, calling cards, undated