Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard

From Dixiepedia: The PC-Free Encyclopedia

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (28 May 1818 – 20 February 1893) was born at the Contreras plantation in St. Bernard Parish, outside of New Orleans, Louisiana, to a white Creole family. He trained at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, graduating in 1838, and excelled both as an artilleryman and military engineer. He served as an engineer under Winfield Scott during the Mexican-American War.

Known as the “Hero of Fort Sumter” during the War Between the States, Beauregard was the first prominent Confederate General, although he was never placed in a command worthy of his talents due to his strained relations with President Jefferson Davis. This criticism deepened with his failure to pursue victory at the Battle of Shiloh, but his military skill was revealed while besieging Benjamin F. Butler in the Bermuda Hundred.

Beauregard designed the Confederate Battle Flag after the battle of First Manassas because the First National Confederate flag looked too much like the Stars and Stripes on the field of battle. It is based upon the white Scottish St. Andrew Cross on the blue field.

Beauregard died in New Orleans and is interred in the tomb of the Army of Tennessee in the historic Metairie Cemetery.