Bush, Col. Louis

Submitted by Mike Miller

Col. Louis Bush is one of the prominent men of New Orleans, La., and among the city's leading citizens. He was born in Iberville parish, La., in 1820, and the son of Reuben and Ludivine (Brasset) Bush, both natives of Louisiana. The father was a notary and in the judiciary department of the parish of La Fourche. Louis is the only one of the family now living. He acquired his own education, was a great reader and thinker, and at the early age of fifteen years, entered into business as a deputy sheriff in La Fourche. This position he held until he was twenty years of age, when he was appointed clerk of the court. He read law at Thibodeaux, was admitted to the bar and practiced there. Later, in 1845, he was elected to the legislature from La Fourche parish, La., and served as senatorial delegate from La Fourche and St. Charles parishes to the Louisiana secession convention.

Although opposed to secession, when the majority of the delegates voted for the secession ordinance, being loyal to his state, he became one of the signers of the ordinance. At the opening of the war he raised a company at La Fourche and was captain of Company G, Eighteenth Louisiana regiment, stationed at Corinth. Later he became major, was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and finally became colonel. He operated around Corinth, was in the battle of Shiloh and followed the movements of the Army of Tennessee. He was detached from his regiment in 1864, raised a cavalry regiment in southern Louisiana and later appointed one of the members of the military court by the trans-Mississippi department, being president of it. He surrendered at Shreveport, June 5, 1865.

After the war he returned to La Fourche parish, there practiced law until 1872, when he came to New Orleans and entered the commission business. In 1876-77 he was in the contest in which Nicholls was elected governor, was elected to the legislature from the Tenth ward of New Orleans, and became speaker of the house. He has all this time still conducted his commission business, which has been very successful. Col. Bush has always taken a very active interest in political matters, has always been a whig in principle, especially on the question of protection; but in 1854 he joined the democratic party and has ever since been a member of that party.

From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, p. 329.