This Confederate General Supported Civil Rights for African Americans, a Forgotten Piece of History

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard — better known as P.G.T. — commanded the Southern troops who fired the first shots at Fort Sumter, the first battle of the Civil War. While it is well-established that one of the main causes of the war was the sectional divide between North and South over slavery, it is not well-known that after the war Beauregard became an outspoken supporter of civil rights.

General P.G.T. Beauregard (CSA)Photo byWikimedia

Beauregard and the Reform Party

Following the war, Beauregard returned to New Orleans where he became a leader in a new political party called the Reform Party. The party supported a “unification movement” that called for the newly freed slaves to be fully integrated into Louisiana society. The group included prominent whites and blacks from New Orleans, and the intention was to integrate schools, public places, and transportation. The group even wanted to give black men the right to vote.

These measures were simply unheard of in the South during Reconstruction and the emergence of Black Codes that restricted the civil rights and liberties of former slaves and African Americans.

P.G.T. Beauregard as a young man.Photo byWikimedia

Louisiana Unification Movement

The Reform Party’s ultimate goal was to reclaim control of Louisiana from the Federal Government and Radical Republicans. It pushed unity between whites and blacks to the forefront of its agenda and even rebranded itself as the “Louisiana Unification Movement.”

On June 15, 1873, the party held a public meeting and several key members, including Beauregard delivered speeches that laid out the party’s agenda. Beauregard said:

“I am persuaded that the natural relation between the white and colored people is that of friendship, I am persuaded that their interests are identical; that their destinies in this state, where the two races are linked together, and that there is no prosperity in Louisiana that must not be the result of their cooperation.”

He knew full well that many people in Louisiana disagreed with this, and tried to calm fears by saying, “I am equally convinced that the evils anticipated by some men from the practical enforcement of equal rights are mostly imaginary, and that the relation of the races in the exercise of these rights will speedily adjust themselves to the satisfaction of all.”

Battle of Fort Sumter (1861)Photo byWikimedia

The Unification Movement Crumbles

In the wake of this meeting, support for the Unification Movement started to crumble. The movement was openly criticized by the press and wealthy Creole businessmen who initially supported the movement abandoned it.

However, it is likely the Unification Movement would not have succeeded outside of New Orleans even with the support of Creole businessmen. This was especially true in remote parishes where violence against African Americans was common. 

Despite his support, Beauregard distanced himself from the movement but supported its politicians, including Randall L. Gibson.

Beauregard in his later years.Photo byWikimedia

Who was Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard?

P.G.T. Beauregard commanded the troops that touched off the Civil War by firing on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. He later became a full General in the Confederate Army and took part in the First Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Corinth, the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, the Savannah Campaign, and the Carolinas Campaign.

After the Civil War, Beauregard returned to New Orleans and took the oath of allegiance to the United States. 

On July 4, 1868, President Andrew Johnson extended amnesty to a group of Confederate leaders, including Beauregard. 

An act of Congress signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on July 24, 1876, restored Beauregard’s citizenship. 

Beauregard later served as president of the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad (1865–1870) and of the New Orleans and Carrollton Street Railway (1866–1876). 

Beauregard took part in the formation of the Reform Party in Louisiana, a coalition of moderate Democrats who supported civil rights for African Americans. 

Between 1877 and 1893, Beauregard served as commissioner of the Louisiana Lottery. This allowed people in Louisiana to buy lottery tickets from the Louisiana State Lottery Company. Although it was intended to raise money to fund reconstruction projects, it faced criticism, mismanagement, and accusations of fraud.

Louisiana State Lottery, advertisement signed by Beauregard.Photo by64 Parishes

In 1879, state officials appointed Beauregard as Adjutant General of Louisiana, serving until 1888. That year, voters elected Beauregard as the commissioner of public works for the city of New Orleans.

Beauregard died in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 20, 1893. His remains rest in Metairie Cemetery, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Corrections

If you see a grammatical or factual error in this article let us know in the comments. We do our best to validate everything before we publish, however, mistakes happen.

The Encyclopedia of American History

American History Central is an encyclopedia of American History. It provides content for anyone interested in learning about the history of the United States and tries to present information in a clear, factual, unopinionated manner.