St. Louis Number One - Warriors
st. louis one main|history|families|personalities|politicians|warriors|voodoo
Tomb of the Orleans Artillery Society
Those who give their lives defending their homes in war often receive places of high honor when they are buried. St. Louis Number One is a bit of an exception here, because New Orleans was not the focal point of many conflicts prior to the Civil War. We were a far-away colony of France when Napoleon rampaged across Europe. New Orleanians weren't terribly involved in the American Revolution, since it wasn't until 1803 that the city became part of the United States. In short, Creole families just didn't go to war. This wasn't a reflection of their bravery, but just the circumstances surrounding the history of the city. Many additional cemeteries were constructed in the period right after the Civil War, and those cemeteries have magnificent monuments to the men who fell in that war.
St. Louis Cemetery Number One does have its warriors, however. There are several Civil War veterans of note buried in here: General Albert G. Blanchard, of the 1st Louisiana Division, and General John B. Grayson of the Middle and Eastern Florida Division, both of the Army of the Confederacy. The largest war memorial is the tomb of the Orleans Artillery Benevolent Society, which houses the remains of many of the men who defended the city during the Battle of New Orleans, January 6-8, 1815.
There is also a small monument in the back of St. Louis Number One dedicated to all of the men who fell during the Battle of New Orleans. It's interesting to note that this monument is in the rear of the cemetery, in the "Protestant Section." This is because most of the men who fought for this mostly-Catholic city were non-Catholics from Tennessee and Kentucky. Protestants tombs were all placed in this rear portion of the cemetery, away from the Catholics in the front. Over the years, many of those buried in this section were re-interred as non-Catholic cemeteries were constructed, particularly Metairie Cemetery. As this happened, many of the tombs in the Protestant Section fell into disrepair, to the point where they had to be torn down. The remains were placed in common graves in the same section, with the engraved stones from the original tombs being placed on top of the common site. The Battle of New Orleans monument pictured above is on the right-hand side of this section. (Click on the image to receive a larger and more detailed version of the image.)
A Battle of New Orleans Side Note: There is a cemetery next to the site of the Battle of New Orleans. It's a National Cemetery, but it houses very few veterans of the battle. Most of the men buried in Chalmette National Cemetery are Colored Troops who fought for the Union Army during the Civil War.
Safety Warning!
If all this has you ready to head out and visit St. Louis Number One, please read our page on tours and visitor information. The cemetery is in a potentially dangerous neighborhood, and you need to be aware of this before going there. (Yes, we're not kidding on this one!)
