From the September 6, 2015, New Orleans Times-Picayune "A Confederate general's forgotten cause, Beauregard and unification: Our Times" by James Karst.
One of the Confederate statues New Orleans is considering removing is that of Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard, a native of St. Bernard Parish who grew up in New Orleans. He went on to become a Confederate hero for his victory on April 12, 1861, at Fort Sumter to open the Civil War. Later he gained even more fame for the victory at 1st Bull Run (Manassas).
His full name was Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard.
The bronze statue of him in Confederate uniform astride his horse was erected at the Esplanade Avenue entrance to City Park in 1915. His is one of the four Confederate statues targeted for removal by Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
He preferred to be called G.T. Beauregard and he graduated from West Point second in his class and served in the Mexican War. After the war, he returned to New Orleans and ran for mayor and pushed for the construction of the Customs House.
After the Civil War he was an early proponent of equal rights in Louisiana.
I'm guessing the anti-statue folk either can't get past his Confederate service or don't know.
--Old Secesh
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