Louisiana 1st Infantry Battalion (Coppens)

Members of the LA 1st Infantry Battalion, Company D. Photo taken at New Orleans.


HISTORICAL NOTES:

The Louisiana 1st Zouave Battalion was formed with six companies on March 22, 1861, at Camp Walker, near New Orleans, Louisiana, by G. A. G. Coppens. It boasted of many experienced veterans of the Crimean War. Their uniforms were red Turkish trousers, red kepis, and blue jackets, and their orders were given in French. With about 600 officers and men, the unit moved to Virginia. Here it was assigned to the Department of the Peninsula, and later to Pryor's and Starke's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The battalion was active from the Seven Days' Battles to Fredericksburg, then served on provost duty in the Department of Richmond.

FIELD OFFICERS:

Lieutenant Colonels:
Georges A.G. Coppens
M. Alfred Coppens
Majors:
Fulgence DeBordenave
Weldemar Hyllested
ASSIGNMENTS:
Pensacola, Florida (May-Jun 61)
Department of the Peninsula (Jun-Oct 61)
Hunt's Brigade, Department of the Peninsula (Oct 61)
Rains' Division, Department of the Peninsula (Jan-Feb 62)
Pryor's Brigade, Longstreet's Division, Army of Northern Virginia (Jun 62)
Pryor's Brigade, Longstreet's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (Jun-Jul 62)
2nd Louisiana Brigade, McLaw's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (Jul 62)
2nd Louisiana Brigade, A.P. Hill's Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (Jul 62)
2nd Louisiana Brigade, Jackson's Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (Aug-Sep 62)
Department of Henrico (Dec 62-Aug 63)
Unattached, Ransom's Division, Department of Richmond (Aug-Sep 63)
Unattached, Department of North Carolina (Dec 63-May 64)
1st Military District, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia (Aug-Sep 64)
Garnett's Brigade, 1st Military District, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia (Sep 64-Apr 65)


BATTLES:

Yorktown Siege (April-May 1862)
Williamsburg (May 5, 1862)
Seven Pines (May 31-June 1, 1862)
Seven Days Battles (June 25-July 1, 1862)
Gaines' Mill (June 27, 1862)
Frayser's Farm (June 30, 1862)
2nd Bull Run (August 28-30, 1862)
Harpers Ferry (September 12-15, 1862)
Antietam (September 17, 1862)
Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
Hicksford (December 7-12, 1864)


ROSTERS:

The composite roster of this regiment contains the names of 1567 men.


Company E became Company A, 12th Heavy Artillery Battalion in August 1862. Companies B and C of the 7th Infantry Battalion were assigned to this battalion in May 1862.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:


REFERENCES:

Sifakis - The Compendium of the Confederate Armies