The remarkable Confederate career of Prince Camille de Polignac -
French aristocrat, professional military man, and soldier of
fortune - has gone largely unnoticed because most of his service
occurred in the relatively neglected western theater of the American
Civil War.
While in Louisiana in early 1863, after serving under Gen. P. G. T.
Beauregard and Gen. Braxton Bragg, newly promoted Brigadier General
Polignac took over a brigade of unruly Texans. In many ways it was a
last chance for both Polignac and the brigade. Lieutenant General
Richard Taylor, disgusted with the insubordinate Texans, was on the
verge of breaking up the brigade. Polignac, despite an impeccable
military background, had been rejected by a number of units because of
his foreign birth.
Through hard work and personal bravery, the French prince eventually
won his men's trust and played a crucial role in defeating the Red
River campaign of Union general Nathaniel P. Banks, for which Polignac
was promoted to major general. In early 1865 Polignac made a final
attempt to save his adopted country by sailing to France on a secret
diplomatic mission, but by the time he arrived in Paris, the South had
surrendered.
In Lafayette of the South, Jeff Kinard reveals the distinguished but
underappreciated life and career of Prince Camille de Polignac. With
riveting storytelling, Kinard follows Polignac through his early days,
his dramatic years during the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War,
and the rest of his long, eventful life. Polignac died in 1913,
holding the peculiar distinction of being the last Confederate major
general and the only foreign national on either side to earn that
rank.
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JEFF KINARD holds a Ph.D. in history from Texas Christian University
and lives in Jamestown, North Carolina. He has published numerous
articles on military history, as well as The Battle of the Crater,
a Military History Book Club selection.
Number Seventy: Texas A&M University Military History Series
