Blanchard, Joseph A.

From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, pp. 295-296.
Submitted by Mike Miller

Dr. Joseph A. Blanchard, physician, Thibodeaux, La., a man of marked character and more than ordinary prominence in the material affairs of La Fourche parish, resides one mile above Thibodeaux on Kenmore plantation, consisting of 2,400 acres of the finest land. Dr. Blanchard was born in Assumption parish, La., on May 28, 1839 and is the son of Alexander C. and Esther (Smith) Blanchard, the father a native of Assumption parish, La., and the mother of Norfolk, Va. The paternal grandfather, Pierre Blanchard, was born near Bordeaux, France, and came to Louisiana when that state was a territory and when it belonged to France. He was a large cotton planter and cotton factor, purchasing all the cotton on the bayou before sugar was the chief product of the country. He was the first to navigate La Fourche bayou by sailboat and Alexander Strick was the first to navigate by steam. His son, Alexander C. Blanchard, was not a man of education and learned to talk English of his wife. He served as sheriff of Assumption parish for thirteen years and was then elected to represent the parish in the legislature. He was a colonel in the Mexican war and went out first with the militia of his parish and neighborhood. He was a very enterprising man, and at the time of his death, which occurred in 1853 at the age of forty-one years, he left a large amount of property . His wife, who came to assumption parish when a young lady and was there married, died in 1873, when sixty years of age.

The Blanchard family were formerly Whigs, but for many years have affiliated with the democratic party. They were all Catholics except our subject's mother, who was a Protestant. Dr. Blanchard was the third in order of birth of six children, four now living, and received his literary education at the University of Nashville, now Vanderbilt university, graduating in 1860. The same year he took a course in medicine at the same university.

He was the first to volunteer as a soldier in the parish of Assumption, and this was three days after the fall of Ft. Sumter. He became a member of Drew's battalion, was in the battle of July 5, 1861, when that officer was killed, and afterward went to Virginia, where he was with McGruder for some time. After one year's service his health failed and he went to New Orleans, where he graduated in medicine. After this he entered the medical department and was in hospital service for one year and a half after which he was transferred to the Gunboat "Webb" then to the "Queen of the West," which was the first boat to pass Natchez.

He was there when the "Indianola" surrendered after the memorable battle between the "Queen of the West, "the "Webb" and the "Indianola," and was in another battle when the "Queen of the West" was sunk. He is now the only survivor of that battle. He was the last to leave the boat and he escaped by diving under the wheel house. This was when the magazine exploded and in jumping he fractured his ------ and injured his head quite badly. He was picked up by a Yankee gunboat and subsequently entered the service again. He was made surgeon of Spaight's battalion and afterward became chief surgeon of Harrison's Texas brigade, with which be remained until the army disbanded, being among the last to disband. It is thus seen that he was the first to enter and the last to leave the army. His first years were in the field service, then hospital duty, and then he left this for gunboat service; afterward was in field service as surgeon again.

At the close of the war he returned to Assumption parish and commenced planting but in connection also practicing his profession there until 1889. He then came to La Fourche parish, bought his present plantation and is engaged in raising cane, rice and corn. In 1866 he married Miss Anna Gladish of La Fourche parish, and eight children have been born to this union. One child, Enola, was born in 1867 and died in December, 1890. Dr. Blanchard is a member of the Masonic lodge and in politics is a democrat.