Jean Baptiste Plauché

Jean Baptiste Plauché (28 January 1785 – 2 January 1860) was a Louisiana soldier and politician. He was the second lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 1850 to 1853 under Governor Joseph M. Walker.

Biography Plauché was born in New Orleans on 28 January 1785. His father, Etienne Henri Plauché, had emigrated from Marseille, France, to Louisiana when he was 25 and established himself in New Orleans, where he earned a reputation as an "honest and industrious man". He later died at the age of 82. His mother, Marguerite Selam, was a New Orleans native who was educated at the Ursuline Academy. Plauché learned many of the gentlemanly customs of his day from his mother.

Plauché started out as a cotton trade merchant, but was later elected leader of the Battalion D'Orleans, which consisted of New Orleans Businessmen and shopkeepers, veterans of Napoleon Bonaparte, local Native Americans, and members of the famed pirate Jean Lafitte, who drilled weekly and furnished their own uniforms.

In the Battle of New Orleans, Major Plauché headed the Bataillon d'Orleans militia. With the assistance of Senator Edward Livingston, he had formed the battalion from five uniformed companies, with a strength of 289 men. At the time (December 1814 – January 1815), he was 29 years old, starting at the rank of Brigader General, and later rose to Major General. In the early stages of the Battle of New Orleans, Plauché's troops were stationed at Fort Bayou St. John, near Lake Pontchartrain, keeping a lookout for British Troops arriving from the North. After being summoned to the city, the troops ran 5 miles from the fort to the Vieux Carré, being one of the first of Jackson's men to arrive. Colonel Andrew Jackson, a man who was known for "not scattering praise where it wasn't deserved", was so impressed with the performance of the Bataillon d'Orleans and Plauché, that he praised them in a letter before he left the city:

"New Orleans. April 5th, 1815.

Head Quarters, 7th Military District

SIR: Before departing from your State, I owe it to justice and to my own feelings, to state the sentiments I entertain of your services during the four weeks' campaign near New Orleans. have ever found you ready to encounter fatigues and dangers in the service of your country. Your conduct, sir, gives you the best founded claims to its gratitude, and has secured to you the sincere regard of your humble and obedient servant.

ANDREW JACKSON, Maj. Gen. Com'ng. 7th. M. D."

After Jackson's retirement from public life, he and Plauché kept up a friendly correspondence. Plauché's troops participated in the Night attack of December 23, 1814, and the final battle of January 8, 1815. Plauché later rose to the rank of brigadier general in the Legion of Louisiana.

The Jackson Day Race was established, following the same route Plauché and his troops followed from Spanish Fort to the French Quarter, celebrated annually.