On Tuesday, Nov.12, Lafayette Parish School history teacher Jason Muller will unveil a new historical marker commemorating a Civil War skirmish that took place near the intersection of Pont des Mouton Road and HWY 182.
The event is set for 11 a.m., marking the 161st anniversary of the day following the battle, when the body of Capt. Arthur W. Marsh, a soldier killed in action, was exhumed and sent home for burial.
The 118th Illinois Mounted Infantry, led by Col. John Fonda, was engaged in a fight against Texas Cavalry regiments led by Brig. Gen. Thomas Green. Killed during the fight was Capt. Arthur W. Marsh, of the 118th Illinois Mounted Infantry.
Muller added he was buried in a shallow grave not far from where he was shot off his horse while organizing a retreat. His body was recovered the next day by his brother, Maj. Benjamin Marsh.
Muller, who has been researching Civil War history in the region for several years, was inspired to investigate the skirmish after reading David Edmonds’s “A Yankee Autumn in Acadiana.”
“I learned about a particular skirmish that happened just down the road from where I live, Muller said. “The nature of this battle, the landscape, and the description of the death of the soldier who was killed in action painted a vivid image in my mind.”
Muller said he wanted to know everything he could about the battle to help paint the most complete picture of what happened.
The site, once part of Gen. Alfred Mouton’s plantation, served as a route for soldiers moving through Louisiana and as the main road to Opelousas and beyond.
“Surrounding the General’s property was a rail fence the Union soldiers used,” Muller said.
Muller said details about the battle came from various primary sources, including soldier diary entries, detailed Confederate maps of the area, and property records confirming the site as Mouton’s property.
“Soldiers report that they stopped to skirmish on the grounds of his property, so I knew that if I located this homesite, I would naturally uncover the site of the skirmish,” Muller said.
One Muller located the site. He said he needed further verification and did so when he used a metal detector after gaining permission from locals. He was able to locate a variety of relics, such as bullets exclusive to the Civil War.
A marker was placed near the Mouton home. Muller said this location was the most practical spot for the marker because property records indicate this homesite, along with Civil War relics recovered from the area.
Muller said the process for erecting the marker began with filling out an application with the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
The application includes the wording for the marker, research, and evidence of the event happening in the area.
Other than that, a group or an individual must sponsor the marker to cover the expenses of the marker and installation.
As for its contribution to our understanding of the War in Louisiana, Muller said this skirmish was no Battle of Gettysburg or Shiloh, but to the men engaged in this fight, it was some of the most severe fighting they would ever encounter in the Army.
“The battle also tells the story of young Capt. Marsh, who was fatally wounded in the fight and buried on the spot by an unnamed slave,” Muller said. “It also tells the story of the Captain’s brother, Benjamin Marsh, who went under a flag of truce the next day to recover his brother’s body and escort it back to Illinois for burial.”
Muller added that this battle is not widely known and did not significantly impact the war, but it is important because it illuminates the events that happened.
“This compels us to ask questions about it, which leads to answers which lead to more questions about history,” Muller said.
During the Civil War, there were upwards of 10,000 battles and skirmishes, many of them unnamed. This marker will now stand as a symbol of the events that happened 161 years ago.
“I believe historical markers are important because they illuminate events that happened that most people had never heard of,” Muller said. “I hope this marker brings more awareness to the history of our area and how each and every event played a role in shaping our character as a community.”
