Jackson Barracks is the headquarters of the
Louisiana National Guard
The Louisiana National Guard is the armed force through which the Louisiana Military Department executes the U.S. state of Louisiana's security policy. Consisting of the Louisiana Army National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Army; ...
. It is located in the
Lower 9th Ward
The Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. As the name implies, it is part of the 9th Ward of New Orleans. The Lower Ninth Ward is often thought of as the entire area within New Orleans downriver of the Industri ...
of
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. The base was established in 1834 and was originally known as New Orleans Barracks. On July 7, 1866, it was renamed in honor of
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
. The
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
listed Jackson Barracks in 1976.
History
After the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, the U.S. Congress realized coastal cities did not have adequate defenses, so they prescribed the
Federal Fortifications Act. The Act, signed by Congress on July 19, 1832, provided over $180,000 (USD) for the acquisition of lands, the building of barracks to house U.S. Troops, and the establishment of command and control centers. On December 14, 1833, the Federal government purchased a 100 by 300-yard property from Pierre Cotteret to establish a new barracks in New Orleans to support the new Forts
Pike
Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to:
Fish
* Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus''
* Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes
* ''Esox'', genus of ...
,
Macomb,
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Qu ...
,
Livingston
Livingston may refer to:
Businesses
* Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010)
* Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline
* Livingston International, a North American custom ...
, and
St. Philip.
Lieutenant Frederick Wilkinson, designed and supervised the building of the new
logistics
Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...
base; built from 1832 to 1836, the new Barracks called "New Orleans Barracks" housed four
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
companies and was equipped with a prison, a storehouse, and four 3-story guard towers. His quadrangle design, in the center of the post, was intended to be a rallying point in the event of an attack. The backs of the buildings were designed with no outward facing windows and acted as a wall. A 10-foot brick facade joined the houses and fortified the post. The front of the Barracks by the river, had a levee, road, railroad, and a trolly-car track for supplements. The back of the Barracks by St. Claude Avenue, housed a
powder magazine to store ammunition. The first troops were in the barracks by February 1837.
Colonel
David E. Twiggs, the commanding officer of the
2nd Regiment of Dragoons, was chosen as the first commandant of the Post. During this time,
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
,
Robert E. Lee,
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...
,
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...
,
P. G. T. Beauregard, were all stationed at the Barracks, although not at the same time.
During the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, New Orleans Barracks became a post for sending and receiving troops. The wounded troops returning from
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
initiated the construction of a federally operated hospital in 1849. It became the first
Public Service Hospital for Veterans in the country.
On May 17, 1848, additional property was purchased from Mrs. Prudence Desilets expanding the Barracks north of Saint Claude Avenue to allow for the new hospital. The facility was a French designed, four-building, 2-story, open-bay
hospital ward
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergency ...
, and one
surgical operating-theater in the center. The hospital remained active until its demolition in 1888. The sturdy wood was salvaged and used to construct
bungalows
A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas.
The first house in England that was classified as a bu ...
around the Barracks.
In 1861, Louisiana seceded from the United States.
Confederate forces took control of the Barracks and held it for less than one year, when in 1862,
Federal forces re-captured it.
On July 7, 1866, the barracks was renamed "Jackson Barracks" after the general who won the Battle of New Orleans, "Old Hickory,"
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
. Three years later, the United States reorganized its "colored troops" into colored regiments. An ACT of Congress signed March 3, 1869, reduced the four colored regiments to two. The 39th and 40th Regiments were consolidated and renumbered as the
25th Infantry Regiment headquartered at Jackson Barracks, under the command of
Colonel Joseph A. Mower until May 1870.
[Fort Davis NHS] Known as the ''
Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in t ...
'', they served the United States during the
Indian wars
The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...
and Spanish–American War.
Twentieth century
![JacksonBarracksFlagAllison](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/JacksonBarracksFlagAllison.jpg)
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the Barracks was used as a muster station where General
John J. Pershing reviewed the troops leaving for war. Following World War I, the property was declared "excess" by the Federal Government and gave it to the State of Louisiana. The Louisiana
Adjutant General
An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer.
France
In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
,
Major General Raymond Fleming, made Jackson Barracks the home of the Louisiana National Guard.
General Fleming transformed the post from an infantry post to a
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
and
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
post where it housed the
108th Cavalry Regiment and the
Washington Artillery
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered ...
. Construction of a new horse stable for the many horses posted at the barracks, and a
polo field was fabricated to exercise the horses in exhibition games on the weekends.
Over the years, the Mississippi River slowly moved closer to the Barracks. Finally, in 1912, the River breached the levee that protected the post destroying the road, railroad, and a trolly-car tracks. The executive office building and the front two guard towers were dismantled to make room for a new levee. There was not enough remaining space to allow for the construction of a new road or rail system.
During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, Louisiana
Governor Huey P. Long, Jr. used his political connections in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
to get federal monies for Louisiana State constructions. Governor Long enlisted the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
(WPA), the largest and most ambitious
New Deal agency, to carry out
public works
Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, sc ...
projects in Louisiana. Using WPA personnel, Jackson Barracks was extensively renovated including the construction of a new executive office building named "Fleming Hall" after Major General
Raymond H. Fleming
Raymond H. Fleming (July 5, 1889—November 23, 1974) was a United States Army Major General (United States), Major General who served as Chief of the National Guard Bureau, commander of the 39th Infantry Division (United States), 39th Infantry Di ...
, the first Adjutant General commanding at Jackson Barracks.
When the United States entered
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Federal Government took control of the barracks to use it as a port of embarkation. Temporary billeting for men preparing to ship overseas in support of the war replaced the polo field.
During the war, the current
Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, also known as the Burke–Wadsworth Act, , was the first peacetime conscription in United States history. This Selective Service Act required that men who had reached their 21st birthday b ...
required that all men aged 18 to 45 were liable for military service for a term of one year. By the early summer of 1941, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
asked the U.S. Congress to extend the term of duty for the draftees beyond twelve months. Many of the drafted soldiers threatened to desert at the conclusion of their initial twelve months of service. A plan submitted by Louisiana Adjutant General Raymond Fleming was to organize a conference and study the best way to procure manpower in the event of an emergency and develop a new Selective Service Act. Jackson Barracks was the location chosen to host the Conference.
The finalized Report #2438 was submitted to the 80th Congress - ''2d Session'' and became the
Selective Service Act of 1948
The Selective Service Act of 1948, also known as the Elston Act, was a major revision of the Articles of War of the United States enacted June 24, 1948 that established the current implementation of the Selective Service System.
History
The prev ...
; it required all men aged 19 to 26 to register and were liable for 21 months' service, followed by five years of reserve duty.
At the conclusion of World War II, the barracks reverted to the State of Louisiana for use as the Louisiana National Guard Headquarters, with a
proviso that the Federal Government can, at any time of crisis, take control of the property.
Post World War II
In 1960, the
Louisiana Department of Corrections
The Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) (French: ) is a state law enforcement agency responsible for the incarceration of inmates and management of facilities at state prisons within the state of Louisiana. The agency is headquart ...
acquired a portion of Jackson Barracks to build and operate a
work release
In prison systems, work release programs allow a prisoner who is sufficiently trusted or can be sufficiently monitored to go outside the prison and work at a place of employment, returning to prison when their shift is complete.
Some work release ...
prison. Later that year construction of two
Armories began. The
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
registered Jackson Barracks in 1976. In 1977, the transformation of the renovated Old Powder Magazine into the official Louisiana National Guard Museum began. Officially named, ''Ansel M. Stroud, Jr. Military History and Weapons Museum'' it contains artifacts from each of the nine major United States conflicts. The museum is a member of the Army Museum System.
In 1991, Warren Carmouche the founder of ''Thugs United'' started the Jackson Barracks Prison project. With the help of
Loyola University, the prison gained a library, law school classes, literacy classes, creative writing, and conflict resolution classes. In 1993, the prison closed as a consequence of a three-man escape and a subsequent murder by the escapees. In 1995, there was an extensive renovation of the armories, construction of an Organizational Maintenance Shop, and the now-inactive prison compound transformed into a police training facility.
In 2005, the entire Jackson Barracks Complex was virtually destroyed by floodwater from Hurricane Katrina.
Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
made its landfall in southeast Louisiana as a
Category 3 storm. As the storm moved inland, the
storm surge
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
caused a breach in the
Industrial Canal levee and submerged parts of Jackson Barracks with more than 20-feet of water. Residents and troops were caught in the floodwater and evacuated via boats to the Mississippi River levee, where National Guard helicopter pilots evacuated them to the
Louisiana Superdome
The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...
. The tidal surge virtually destroyed the entire Jackson Barracks Complex. Secretary of the Army
Francis J. Harvey after touring the devastated Barracks, noted that Jackson Barracks is "a very important piece of American history that needs to be preserved."
Rebuilding
![Jackson Barracks - New Orleans](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Jackson_Barracks_-_New_Orleans.jpg)
Congress authorized 100 percent of the funding for reconstruction. The rebuilding of the majority of the Barracks was from scratch, except the 1837 Old Powder Magazine and 14 antebellum homes in the Original Garrison that received a $35 million restoration fund from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
. The entire complex was redesigned, so all office and executive complexes were in proximity, and all new structures would have their operational infrastructures above the first floor.
The ''Jackson Barracks Historical Renovation'' was created to ensure the preservation of the mostly intact historical area. ''ENR Texas & Louisiana
was chosen to head the project. Yeates & Yeates Architects, New Orlean
was selected to design structures matching the original Greek Revival theme. Most of the historical buildings were fully renovated, including structure replacement. The team fully restored over 17,500 square feet of wood-framed buildings to original designs and used original materials when possible.
The total cost of reconstruction due to Hurricane Katrina was $325 million. Construction included 91 new housing cottages at the north end of the barracks and new armories with state-of-the-art features, including a bomb-proof facade, advanced fire retardant systems, dedicated water and electricity utilities, and stand-alone command and control facilities.
In 2013 the ''Ansel M. Stroud, Jr. Military History and Weapons Museum'' reopened, in a new multi-use complex with exhibits covering the Louisiana Guard response to Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana soldiers and airmen involvement in the Global War on Terror, The Gulf War of 1990–1991, and other National Guard and Louisiana military history topics. A new area features temporary and traveling exhibits.
The museum is one of two focusing on the Louisiana National Guard; the other is the ''Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum'' in
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located across the Red River from the larger Alexandria. Pineville is hence part of the Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,555 at the 2010 cens ...
.
References
External links
Ansel M. Stroud, Jr. Military History and Weapons Museum- Louisiana National Guard Museums
{{LAMilitary, state=collapsed
1834 establishments in Louisiana
Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana
National Register of Historic Places in New Orleans
Barracks on the National Register of Historic Places
Government buildings completed in 1834
Greek Revival architecture in Louisiana
Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana