Paul Hebert was a simple farmer when
he was called upon to join the Confederate cause early in April of
1862. According to his military records, he enlisted for the duration
of the war. His unit was the 28th (Thomas’) Regiment which was
organized at Camp Moore, in Tangipahoa parish, at Tangipahoa Station,
which was formed by the addition of five companies to a battalion
formed by Col. Allen Thomas. If the company designation (Co. A) has
any bearing of the sequence of who joined first, then Company A (Paul
Hebert’s unit) was one of the first formed in the battalion
which was organized for state service. According to an article that
appeared in the New Orleans, Commercial Bulletin of 10 April, 1862,
his company, The Creole Rebels, with Captain J. J. Decota in command
of 81 men, arrived from Avoyelles Parish aboard the Steamer Dr. Batey
and had reached the city the day before from Gorton’s landing.
They arrived along with five additional companies.
This regiment was one of TWO formed at about the same time, one being
from the southern portion of the state (28th Thomas’) while the
other 28th (Gray’s) Regiment was formed in the northern portion
of the state by Col. Henry Gray. These two regiments were hastily
organized, ignorant of the other’s formation and this occurred
at about the same time as Admiral David G. Farragut’s Union
fleet were occupying the city of New Orleans. The 28th Thomas’
was ultimately given the designation 29th Regiment Louisiana Infantry
on paper; but, the designation 28th Thomas’ stuck and ended up
being the common name referred to by this regiment.
Shortly after the formation of the 28th Thomas’ Regiment at Camp
Moore on May 3, 1862, the regiment was shipped to the defense the
Mississippi River at Vicksburg, leaving Camp Moore, probably by
railroad, on May 20 and arriving on the next day. Camp Moore was
established at a point near the border of Louisiana and Mississippi
on the New Orleans/Jackson & GT. Northern Railroad near the
present day town of Tangipahoa, Louisiana. The location served the
purpose of quickly moving newly trained recruits to points north as
well as to take away the opportunity for raw recruits to go AWOL in
the city of New Orleans. It was also conviently located by a good
source of fresh water which was obvious requirement for a training
camp. From Camp Moore, the route would have been up to Jackson and
then west from Jackson, via the Southern Mississippi Railroad, to
Vicksburg.
Upon reaching Vicksburg, the 28th Thomas’ was assigned picket
duty at Warrenton, which was located just south of Vicksburg. Records
indicate they remained in that area throughout the summer and fall of
1862 until December 1862. The regiment then was moved to the bluffs
located north of the city, known as Chickasaw Bluffs. There, they
assisted in the northern defense of Vicksburg. They were among
Confederate units that repulsed Federal attacks on the 28th and 29th
of December 1862. Causalities sustained by the 28th Thomas’ in
the defense of Chickasaw Bluffs were 9 men killed along with 25 men
wounded. The estimated causalities of the skirmish at Chickasaw
Bluffs were: 1,983 total (US 1,776; CS 207). Following the Chickasaw
Bluff’s skirmish, the 28th Thomas’ went thru a period of
general inactivity thru April of 1863. In May of 1863, they were sent
to Confederate Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton’ s left flank near
Fort Hill.
The 28th Thomas’ was again moved on May 22 in support of General
John H. Forney’s division. This was during one of the major
federal assaults at Vicksburg. After this assault, they again
returned to their old positions near Fort Hill. During the Seige of
Vicksburg, the regiment suffered some 16 men killed along with 57
wounded. The regiment was surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant on
July 4, 1863 along with the entire defending Confederate force
(approximately 31,000 men) who were then granted a generous pardon.
The 28th Thomas’ was then marched overland to Enterprise, a town
in southeastern Mississippi where they were to remain in camp until
such a time that an equal number of Federal prisoners could be
exchanged. Present day Enterprise has a nearby small military
cemetery that is the final resting place for slightly over 100
Confederate Civil War soldiers. A search of the cemetery records
indicate no 28th Thomas’ men as being buried there. The men were
encamped at Enterprise and supplied by the Confederate government
where they remained until there were allowed to go home on furlough
after several months. In the summer of 1864 the regiment was recalled
to active duty at camp in Alexandria. Only some of the men of the
regiment returned, for many chose for one reason or another to stay
home.
It is not clear if Paul Hebert went home, but it
is assumed that he did, at least for a brief period of time. After
the surrender at Vicksburg, a Confederate general exclaimed that most
of his troops were going home by crossing the river (Mississippi) in
large numbers -- instead of heading overland to Enterprise and the
parole camp located there. Only a small protion of men eventually
ended up in Enterprise.
Even though, the church records giving details of the birth’s of
his children indicate that he did not have a child born during his
service with the 28th Thomas’; for the church recomds indicate
that his next child’s birth was in 1867, two years after the
close of the war. His military records indicate (by a notation on the
bottom of one of his Muster Roll cards), that his name was on a list
of men who may have been sent to the defense of Mobile and Mobile
Bay. This was due to the formation of the 22nd Consolidated Regiment.
This regiment was organized on January 26, 1864 at Enterprise,
Mississippi and consisted of a portion of the 28th Thomas’
Regiment along with portions of other regiments.
The 22nd Consolidated Regiment was sent to Mobile and garrisoned
several redoubts along with some batteries around the city and the
bay. The men were drilled in heavy artillery as well as also being
required to perform guard duty. After spending some time in the
defense of the Mobile area they were later evacuated on April 12,
1865 and were then surrendered in Meridian, Mississippi on May 8th,
1864. It is not definite that Paul Hebert was among the men of the
22nd Consolidated Regiment, but speculation on the part of this
researcher is strong that he was, for his records indicate, that he,
along with another fifty or so men were AGAIN paroled in Washington,
Louisiana on June 17, 1865. Only a portion of the 28th Thomas’
received a second pardon as such. This can be loosely supported by
the church records of the births of two of his children by his second
wife, Eugenie Labbe. They were married 16 November 1861 and there is
a large gap between the birth of his first daughter, Marie Marceline
and his second daughter . Marie Elisa. Their births were as follows:
Marie Marceline, born 28 October
1862; (2) Marie Elisa, born 20 August 1867. This, combined
with the information contained on the Muster Roll cards, strongly
suggest that Paul Hebert may have continued the fight until the end
of the Civil War.
It should be noted, that when this researcher went
to Jackson Barracks (New Orleans) to verify some records pertainint
to the 28th Thomas’, that the Muster Roll Ledger records of the
28th Thomas’ were non-existant. In place were copies of Muster
Roll cards of each of the men serving in this unit. It is probable
that the records were lost during the war [speculation is that they
were destroyed at the time of the surrender rather than turn them
over to the victorious federal troops...jlr], or that they could be
in some obscure private collection, waiting one day to surface.
After his parol in Washington, Louisiana, in 1865, Paul Hebert then
returned home to continue his simple occupation as a farmer in
southwestern Louisiana. There, he raised a very large family of some
16 children, born as a result of three marriages. His last child was
born in 1896, when he was 60 years
old...three years prior to his death in
1899, if the records are correct!
Paul Hebert was born on or about 25 Jan 1836 (Opel. Ch. v.4, p. 10)
as Augustine Hebert and died of diphtheria at Prairie Hays
(Robert’s Cove) about 1899 at the about the age of 62. He was
the 2nd of three children born to August Hebert and Marcellite Blaise
(Lejeune) in the Opelousas area of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. He
had a sister, Emelie who was baptized at at the age of 29 months
(Laf. Ch. v.4, #49). He also had another sister who was born
sometimes after him. He appears to have lived a full and prosperous
life with his having married three times and with him fathering some
16 (or so) children as a result of these marriages. The 1860 Census
(Grand Coteau), taken on 24 June 1860 show Paul and his wife, Elina
Cummings were living with Treville Leger and Marie E. Savoie. His
occupation was listed as a farmer and a value of $200 was placed on
his estate. The census also showed that he could neither read or
write.
The marriages and children of Paul Hebert:
Paul Hebert, Marriage #1
Elina Cummings. Married on 13 October at Grand Coteau
1. Marie Ermenia, born 31 August 1860, Grand Coteau
(This sweet little lady was affectionally
called “Aunt Minie” by this researcher on the many
occasions that we visited her in her modest home on the Chataignier
Hwy just northeast of Eunice. She was small in stature, only about
five in height and very bright at her advanced age of the mid
90’s at this time in her life.)
Paul Hebert, Marriage #2
Marie Eugenie Labbe. Married on 16 November 1861
2. Marie Marceline, born 28 October 1862, Church Point
3. Marie Elisa, born 20 August 1867, Church Point
4. Marie Eugenie, born 4 April 1869, Church Point
5. Marie Lucia, born 19 July 1870, Church Point
6. Columbus, born 21 July 1872, Church Point
7. Herminglide, born 13 April 1875, Church Point
8. Hermisa, born 9 November 1876, Church Point
9. Paulus, born 5 December 1878, Church Point
10. Laurent, born 31 December 1881, (no location given)
11. Antoinne, born 7 October 1882, Rayne
12. “Lezime” Onesimme, born 25 June 1887, Rayne
“Lezime” is this researchers’ Grandfather who
married
Melizza Roy on 24 December 1907.
Paul Hebert, Marriage #3
Ellen Laughlin. Married on 29 March 1892, Crowely
Court House.
13. Paul A., Jr. , born 5 February 1893, Branch
14. Marie, born 9 December 1894, Robert’s Cove
15. Mae, born 12 May 1896, Robert’s Cove
16. Agnes, born 20 February 1898, Robert’s Cove
New Page!!!! 31
August 2000 -- Newly added: The Widow's Application for Confederate
Pension for his widow, Ellen Laughlin
Hebert. Click here to read it in it's
entirity!
Ellen
Laughlin Hebert
The 1870 Census (Bayou Chicot), taken on 27 July 1870 show Paul and
his wife, Marie (Eugenie) living with Antoine Labbe and his wife
Magdeleine Comeaux. Paul’s occupation was listed as a farmer.
The census also showed that he could neither read or write.
According to the Pension Records (#13829), dated 9 June 1931, Paul
Hebert was laid to rest in Robert’s Cove, Louisiana. The solemn
occasion was witnessed by two acquaintences, Martin Rougeau of Mowata
and John G. Sittig of Iota. According to their sworn statements,
there was no minister present and they helped take the body of Paul
Hebert to the grave site at Robert’s Cove.
The grave site is located, on the east side of a quiet country road,
in the shade of a majestic oak tree. It is near a gently winding
curve in the road on present day Hwy. 1112. This site is a short
distance from busy I-10 on the north side of Crowley, Louisiana. The
grave site is marked by a simple military marker which attests to the
fact that Paul Hebert served with Co. A.,
28th Thomas’ Infantry Regiment.
There are two additional grave markers located at this site; one
being that of a small child and the other, an iron cross which bears
no inscription. The grave location is on private property. The
current residents told this researcher that the grave site has a
reputation of being haunted by friendly spirits. They did not
elaborate further, when this researcher visited the site with Paul
Hebert’s granddaughter, Lucy (Lucia) Hebert Richard.
Ironically, at the St. Louis Cemetery, on the south side of Eunice,
Louisiana, there is an ADDITIONAL military grave marker for Paul
Hebert. This one is in the northwest corner of the cemetery and is
lying on the ground. It is also a simple military marker but with the
inscription saying 28th La. Inf.
CSA...it does not show which 28th
Regiment.
15 April 1999. This information was compiled over a period of time
beginning in November 1997 and continued thru April 1999. It gives a
tribute to a remarkable man who was just one of the soldiers who
honorably served with the 28th Thomas’
Regiment Louisiana Infantry. Thank you for
caring.