#WhyAlfred







Many people do not know who Alfred Mouton is, and those that do know anything usually only know of his time in the Confederate army.





But before the Civil War he lead the vigilante groups that extra-legally flogged, banished, and killed members of every major ethnic group in the area, including Acadians, despite the governor threatening to send the Louisiana Militia to put a stop to the vigilantes.





"It is clear from Barde's chronicle of vigilante activities that once persons most responsible for crimes against property had been removed from the local scene, vigilantes focused their attention on social control, choosing as their victims poor whites and free blacks who threatened the social status quo by harboring fugitive slaves, by conducting indiscreet sexual liaisons, or by challenging contemporary concepts of white superiority." Acadian to Cajun, Transformation of a People by Carl Brasseaux Page 118





Click here for historian quotes on the nefarious activities of the Committees of the Attakapas.





In 1922, at the height of Jim Crow, the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) erected a statue of Alfred in downtown Lafayette. The date marked the 58th anniversary of Alfred’s death at the Battle of Mansfield, and the UDC chose to depict Alfred in full Confederate regalia in order to celebrate his role in the Civil War. At that time, the UDC and other organizations were erecting similar statues all across the South as a political statement to reject the advancements of African-Americans since the Civil War and promote the white-supremacist values of the Confederacy. The statue of Alfred Mouton that sits upon public grounds and is maintained by public monies was, therefore, primarily erected as a salvo in this racially motivated political struggle.





We believe that any contribution he may have made as a Confederate general, is negated by his actions as the vigilante leader. We are not, however, suggesting that he be stripped of any honor some may choose to assign him. We do not deny his family's contribution to the area with his father having been governor and his grandfather founding Vermilionville. But we wonder, why Alfred, in particular, is singled out among the other Confederate generals and soldiers from the area to hold that place of prominence downtown?





There are also inaccuracies on the statue itself, blatantly obvious to local pedestrians, national and international visitors and festival goers, perpetuating the stereotype of the ignorant Cajun.







These facts lead us to propose; would he not be more appropriately honored and put into the best possible context at his family's home turned museum, Mouton House, only 2 blocks away from its current location?





And in its current location, in front of the old City Hall, housing several international organizations, we could have something that actually represents the values of the people of Acadiana, past, present and future. Among the suggestions are; a statue of the founder of Vermilionville, Jean Mouton, musician Clifton Chenier, and Cajun patriarch, Joseph "Beausoleil" Broussard.







Most importantly; we are not suggesting hiding, altering nor erasing history, but rather suggest; history can be best learned from when placed in context. No matter where the statue ends up, we are asking for some way, either by plaque or perhaps another memorial, to portray the full history and correct the inaccuracies.





The goals of Why Alfred begin and end with the statue being placed into the best possible historical context, our goals do not extend to changing street names or other monuments.





Update: Several people have taken on the challenge of doing their own serious research and writing their suggestions on what they would like to see on the plaque/s. We encourage everyone to do this and please reach us through our Contact page or [email protected]. We now have a new page with several sources on Alfred and the Mouton family.



