About a Deserter in His Command

3 x 5 1/2, boldly written in ink by Colonel Charles A. Fuller, 1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery, on the front and back of a pink postal cover. It is undated, but the content would indicate that it was probably written in 1862.

Badger's Papers

Badger was a 12 mos. man of La. Regt. Arty., his time expired on or about the 20th April - he refused to reenlist or do duty - was confined in guard house - on evacuation of Fort Macomb returned to duty in commissary dept. - was sent to Manchac with stores - deserted about 1st May & has been in New Orleans ever since - was suspected of being unfriendly to the South before deserting.

Fort Macomb - character before enlisting bad.

C.A. Fuller
Col. Comdg.

Light age toning, wear and minor edge chipping. Very interesting Confederate Louisiana piece written on a postal cover most likely because of a lack of stationary.

The soldier this pertains to was Corporal Frank A. Badger, of Co. G, 1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery.

The author of this report was Colonel Charles A. Fuller, of the 1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery. Fuller was later Chief of Heavy Artillery of the Confederate garrison at Vicksburg, Miss.

This document was found among the papers of Colonel H.D. Ogden who was the Provost Marshal in the area where Badger deserted. Colonel Fuller used this postal cover as a means to write a report regarding the desertion and whereabouts of Corporal Badger to Colonel Ogden.

WBTS Trivia: Fort Macomb, built in 1822, was a brick fort, located near New Orleans, and was originally called Fort Wood. It was renamed Fort Macomb in 1851 after Gen. Alexander Macomb, former Chief of Engineers, and Commanding General of the U.S. Army. After Louisiana seceded from the Union, the fort was occupied by a Confederate garrison. It was captured in late April 1862 when the city of New Orleans fell to Union forces.

WBTS Trivia: Manchac, also known as Manchac Post, was originally established in 1763 at the junction of the Iberville River (Bayou Manchac) and the Mississippi River, and was an important British military and trading post until being captured by Bernado Galvez of Louisiana in 1779, during the American Revolution. The name Manchac, comes from a Choctaw Indian expression meaning "rear entrance" as it was in fact a rear entrance to Lake Ponchartrain.