In the second installment of my Archives Month series, I wanted to highlight Tulane University’s Special Collections – in particular, their Louisiana Research Collection, otherwise known as LaRC.

I had only limited time to do research when I was there, but during my two or three hours, I found some extraordinarily helpful and detailed information.

By far, the most important source I found was the Paul Octave Hebert Scrapbook. I was interested in Hebert (more properly spelled Hébert) because he was in charge of the Confederate supply and transportation hub at Monroe, Louisiana – about 60 miles west of Milliken’s Bend. I had also frequently come across statements in secondary sources that said Hebert’s only combat experience came at Milliken’s Bend. But I could never find any primary sources that placed him there. As far as I could tell, he was basically an administrator in Monroe. He certainly wasn’t under command of Brig. Gen. Henry McCulloch, the Confederate commander at the battle. In addition, if Hebert went to Milliken’s Bend, he would have been abdicating his duty and responsibilities in Monroe. Even when I looked at his scrapbook, I found no mention whatsoever of his presence at Milliken’s Bend. The story of his presence there, apparently, came later, and did not appear to be accurate.

Another important discovery was Hebert’s apparent friendship with Judge Lewis Dent, Union general U.S. Grant’s brother-in-law who was a U.S. plantation lessee in Louisiana. Dent had been captured by Confederate forces sometime during the summer of 1863, and in a goodwill gesture, Hebert and Grant arranged for a mutual exchange of prisoners – Dent for one of Hebert’s staff officers being held in a Union prison camp, Maj. M.W. Sims. It was explained to Grant that Sims was more of a civilian, serving as a friend on Hebert’s staff, with essentially an “honorary” rank of major, so on the surface, at least, it would have been considered an “even” exchange – civilian for civilian. But Sim’s case became very complicated, very quickly. Hebert had already released Dent in good faith, but Sims never was exchanged.

Apparently, Hebert and Dent had become quite good friends; perhaps they had even known each other before the war, as Dent had lived in Mississippi for a time. When Dent died in 1874, Grant, now President, made a special request that Hebert serve as a pallbearer at Dent’s funeral.

My tribute to the collections of Tulane University would not be complete without mentioning another special item, the diary of Mark Valentine, a planter. He was an older man, with a son of the same name. The elder Valentine lived not far from Kate Stone. Perhaps one of the most interesting moments was discovering entries in his diary, and hers, where they each mentioned the other. Together, the two diaries provide an excellent up-close account of what was happening near Milliken’s Bend in the spring of 1863.

Finally, as at LSU, I must thank the staff at Tulane as well. They were extraordinarily helpful, kind, and gracious. Happy Archives Month to LaRC at Tulane!

Sources: Paul Octave Hebert Scrapbook (Coll. #818); Valentine Diary, Civil War Diaries, Civil War Papers, Louisiana Historical Association Collection (Coll. #55-B).