Paul Aime Melancon

• General Notes
  • CSRC, M320, rolls 336-339; Muster Role:
    
    MELANÇON, Paul Aimé. Pvt.  Born 21 Jan 1835, Lafourche Interior Parish.  Called Aimé.  Son of Gilbert MELANÇON & Merante CHAMPAGNE. On U.S. POW rolls, captured & paroled Vicksburg, 4 Jul 63, & on roll of U.S. POWs (as Aneam MELANÇON, no company given) received at New Orleans, 20 Aug 6_, released by order of CPT Killborn, 22 Aug 6_.  Hall, p. 226, says he was wounded 11 Jun 63, during siege of Vicksburg.  //  Booth, LA Confed. Soldiers, 3(1):941:  Aneam MELANÇON, Anzine MELANÇON.  CSRC, Index: Anzine MELANÇON.  Hall, 26th LA Infantry, 220, 226: Aimé MELANÇON.  Hébert, D., South LA Records, 1:391: Paul Aimé MELANÇON.
    
    Confederate States of America Regiment, 26th Infantry, Co. I - Known as Tucker’s,  Webre’s "Allen Rifles"
    
    From Sifakis, Compendium of C.S. Armies: Louisiana, 112-13:
    
    Organization: Organized at Camp Lovell, Berwick City on April 3, 1862. Regiment surrendered at Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi on July 4, 1863. Paroled at Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi in July 1863. Those members of the regiment east of the Mississippi River [were] consolidated with similar portions of the 3rd, 17th, 21st (Smith’s-Higgins’-Patton’s), 22nd (Theard’s-Herrick’s), 27th, 29th and 31st Infantry Regiments and designated as the 22nd Consolidated Infantry Regiment at Enterprise, Mississippi on January 26, 1864. They became part of Company F, of that regiment. [The balance of the regiment was reorganized at Alexandria in the summer of 1864.] Surrendered by General E.K. Smith, commanding Trans-Mississippi Department, on May 26, 1865.
    
    Assignments: Coast Defenses, Department #1 (Apr-May 62); Department #1 (May 62); Jackson, Department #1 (May-Jun 62); Smith’s Brigade, Department of Southern Mississippi and East Louisiana (Jun-Jul 62); Smith’s Brigade, District of the Mississippi, Department #2 (Jul 62); 2nd/3rd Sub-district, District of the Mississippi, Department #2 (Jul-Oct 62); Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (Oct 62); 2nd Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (Oct-Dec 62); Thomas’ Brigade, Lee’s Provisional Division, 2nd Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (Dec 62); Unattached, 2nd Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (Dec 62-Jan 63); Lee’s Brigade, 2nd Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (Jan 63); Lee’s Brigade, Smith’s Division, 2nd Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (Jan-Apr 63); Lee’s-Shoup’s Brigade, Smith’s Division, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (Apr-Jul 63); Thomas’ Brigade, Polignac’s Division, District of West Louisiana, Trans-Mississippi Department (Aug-Sep 64); 1st (Thomas’) Louisiana Brigade, 2nd (Polignac’s-Thomas’) Division, 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department (Sep 64-May 65)
    
    Battles: Vicksburg Bombardments (May 18-July 27, 1862); Chickasaw Bayou (December 27-29, 1862); vs. Steele’s Bayou Expedition (March 14-27, 1863); vs. Greenville Expedition (April 2-14, 1863); Vicksburg Campaign (May-July 1863); Vicksburg Siege (May-July 1863)
    
    From Bergeron, LA Confed. Units, 135-36:
    
    "This regiment was organized at Camp Lovell, Berwick City, on April 3, 1862, with eight companies and 805 men. Several weeks later, the regiment went to New Orleans, where two additional companies joined it. At the evacuation of the Crescent City, the regiment went by railroad to Camp Moore. The men moved to Jackson, Mississippi, on May 6 and spent the next two weeks there and at Edwards’ Depot. On May 19, they went to Vicksburg and performed picket duty during the open stages of the first Federal attack on the city. The regiment returned to Edwards’ Depot on June 18 and remained there through the summer. In September, the regiment once again went into camp at Vicksburg. The men participated in the defense of Chickasaw Bluffs, December 25-29. They captured more than 300 enemy soldiers in an attack on the enemy’s flank on December 29. In the last week of March, 1863, the regiment traveled to Deer Creek in northeast Mississippi and was entrenched there in anticipation of an enemy attack. During the Siege of Vicksburg, May 19-July 4, the regiment served in the trenches on the left flank of the Confederate lines. The men went home on parole after the surrender of the garrison. Some men began gathering in a parole camp at Pineville in June, 1864. After being declared exchanged in August, more men reported to the camp during the closing months of the year. Many men did not report for duty after being exchanged but remained at their homes. As part of General Allen Thomas’ brigade, the regiment did picket and guard duty at Fort Buhlow and Fort Randolph near Pineville. The men continued this duty until late April, 1865. At that time, the brigade moved to a camp on Bayou Cotile. The men spent a few days there and marched to Camp Salubrity near Natchitoches. On May 19, the brigade was dismissed to go home in anticipation of the surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Department. During the war, 38 men of the regiment were killed or mortally wounded and 69 died of disease."
    
    26th Louisiana. "The Story of the 26th Louisiana Infantry in the Service of the Confederate States," by Winchester Hall.
    The 26th Louisiana was formed in 1862 and served in the trenches of Vicksburg where they were reduced to living on rat-meat and courage. After their exchange in the Trans-Mississippi, they fought with Moutoun's Brigade at Pleasant Hill, Sabine Cross-Roads, and Monette's Ferry. Originally issued in 1890, this 1984 reprint includes a new introduction by Edwin C. Bearss. 250 pages, photos, maps. The 26th LA reprint is by Olde Soldier Books
    
    *Paul Aime served in the Confederate States of America Regiment, 26th Infantry, Co. I with his grand niece, Gabriella Weimer's (wife of grand nephew Wilson Melancon) who was the step granddaughter, Charles J Guedry -
    
    GUIDRY [Gueddy], C. J.  Sgt. En. 15 Mar 62, Thibodaux. Pres. Sep-Oct 62. POW cap. & prl. Vicksburg, 4 Jul 63. Roll n.d.: POWs prl. & unexch. who desire to take the oath, cap. Vicksburg, 11 Jul 63. [NFR.] (B2:119).
    
    3rd SGT, 26th Infantry, Co. I - Known as Tucker’s,  Webre’s "Allen Rifles"
    
    The story of the 26th Louisiana infantry, in the service of the Confederate States (1890). Author: Hall, Winchester, 1819-1909.