Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/454

 448 Southern Historical Society Papers.

who refused the order of knighthood offered by Queen Victoria; 3. Eugene, who is the subject of this sketch; 4. Mathilde, who married Judge Henry D. Ogden; 5. Eliza, who married John R. Conway, and Camille, who died in youth.

Eugene Waggaman was born in this city in a building corner Cus- tomhouse and Royal, which has since been burned, on the i8th of October, 1826. He was educated at Mount St. Mary's College, Maryland, and graduated from there as valedictorian of the class of '46.

Returning to this State from school he took charge of his mother's and his own sugar plantation in Jefferson parish, and at the age of twenty five years married Miss Felicie Sauve, the daughter of Pierre Sauve of the same parish. During the years 1858-' 9 he was a mem- ber of the State Legislature which called the constitutional conven- tion. In the next the war had come. With the martial blood of his ancestors tingling in his veins, he at once prepared for the fight. He raised in his own parish a company of cavalry known as the Jefferson Chasseurs. These were the young men of the plantations accus- tomed to the saddle from infancy, and perfect masters of their ani- mals. Being chosen their captain, he went on to Montgomery, the seat of the Confederate Government, and offered the services of his company.

The value of cavalry was not appreciated by the new government. The Virginia campaigns had not yet happened to teach them the les- son. The cavalry was declined as too costly to support, and Cap- tain Waggaman was compelled to return and so declare to his men. But he was determined. He asked the company to fight on foot, but not one man complied. Coming to New Orleans he enlisted as a private in the Tenth Louisiana Regiment, commanded by his cousin, Colonel Mandeville Marigny. Before the regiment left, he became captain of the Tirailleurs d' Orleans, a company composed in large measure of foreigners Greeks, Italians, Indians, Spaniards, and representatives of all the southern European nations. To drill- ing and molding this strange mass he devoted himself with telling effect, and to the end they were amongst the most loyal to the cause.

The Tenth Louisiana went to Virginia and shared in all the battles of the retreat. Promotion was rapid in the regiment where, out of the forty officers allowed it at one time, thirty-one were killed or wounded. So not many months of active service had been seen by the regiment before Captain Waggaman was made a lieutenant-colo- nel, commanding the Tenth Louisiana.