by nolahistoryguy | Oct 2, 2026 | Patreon
Third Thursdays at the Jefferson Parish Library!
In This Issue
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A Little History… – Our feature story
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Notes from the Lakefront – Updates
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Ad of the Week – advertising blasts from the past!
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How you can help NOLA History Guy – Things you can do right now!
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NOLA Six Word Writing Challenge – Exercise your imagination!
A Little History… The French Market in 1871
Sketch of the stalls of the French Market by William Waud, drawn in 1871. Here is the caption from the Historic New Orleans Collection:
Sketch showing Indians and other vendors outside at French Market; used for wood engraving in Every Saturday, July 15, 1871; Vieux Carré. On brown paper.
This sketch is part of an excellent article in Every Saturday. Here’s an excerpt detailing some of the activity in the sketch.
French is the predominant speech of this noisy throng — French in all stages of dialectic decay and compromise. Probably the the most characteristic scenes are furnished by groups outside of the regular stalls. An old negro woman with her head turbaned in a gaudy bandanna, will sit for hours on the border of the sidewalk, — or banquette, as it is universally called here, — and solicit customers for about three pounds and a half of corn meal, which is heaped up before her in an unsteady pyramid, with a sheet of brown paper for its base…
Waud captures a diverse group of people in the French Market stalls. It’s a typical scene, residents of the Vieux Carré. These folks sit and work in the produce and vegetable stalls of the market. These stalls stretched from Dumaine Street out to Barracks Street. The Butchers Market occupied the buildings from Dumaine up to Jackson Square.
Since only one woman uses a parasol/umbrella, we can assume it’s a sunny, warm day, rather than a rainy one.
The illustrator
William Waud, an Englishman, was working as an illustrator and correspondent for publications like Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and, in this case, Every Saturday. He traveled extensively through the South during the Civil War. After the war, he spent some time in New Orleans.
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Notes from the Lakefront
why the lakefront?
Creole Heritage Symposium
Your NOLA History Guy will be part of the Creole Heritage Symposium sponsored by the Friends of the Cabildo, next Saturday, October 10th, at 10am.
Vintage Ad of the Week
Ad for Schwegmann’s Supermarkets, 1-October-1969, in the Times-Picayune. Long before Walmart, Target, Sams, and Costco, Schwegmann’s sold so much more than groceries. Look at all these appliances, electronics, and housewares. Along with all that, Schwegmann’s stores had banks, gas stations, and a couple stores even had bars!
How You Can Help NOLA History Guy
Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help us out!
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Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
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Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
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Buy me a Coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
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Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
Books by NOLA History Guy!
NOLA Six Word Writing Challenge
In six words or less, write a story about this image.
Post your story to NOLAHistoryGuy.com on BlueSky, or to New Orleans Uncovered on Facebook. You can also email yours to nolasixwords@nolahistoryguy.com.
What’s this all about?
by nolahistoryguy | Oct 1, 2026 | Napoleonic Period
The Chasseur Trumpeters communicated orders down the chain of command.
Chasseur Trumpeters on parade
Plate #6 of Rousselot’s Elite Cavalry book presents two trumpeters of the Chasseurs a Cheval of Bonaparte’s Imperial Guard. Both wear tenue de parade, full dress for parades. This uniform is similar to Plate #9, Walking-out-dress. The main differences are the headgear change to the colback, and the sabertaches on their sword belts.
As was common in the First Empire period, musicians wore contrasting colors to troopers. Chasseurs wore a green dolman with red pelisse, the trumeters wore blue dolmans with rose pelisses. Additionally, their colbacks are white, rather than the black fur of Chasseurs. This made the trumpeters easy to pick out. The plumes in their colbacks are curious. Plate 9 shows a trumpeter wearing a blue and rose plume in his cocked hat, while these trumpeters wear the standard green and red plumes.
The musician on the right is a brigadier-trompette, a corporal. The chevron on the sleeve of his pelisse indicates his rank. The banners attached to their trumpets are rose-colored.
Even though their primary duty is communicating orders, trumpeters were considered combatants. They carried swords and contributed when charging. Their sabertaches (the pouch on the sword belt) match the blue of the dolmans.
Writing Ideas
Bonaparte loved his full-dress parades and reviews. Naturally his guides (the Chasseurs) fell into line at these events. Like the officers in Plate #2, these musicians made sure their uniforms were perfect, lest they bring criticism to the regiment. Perhaps the brigadier-trompette makes last-minute check of his colleague’s uniform. Is everything in place? Do the accessories meet the standards of an Imperial review? Does the trumpeter appreciate the attention of the corporal, or is there an undertone of hostility? Plenty of opportunity to build the scene out for your stories.
Get to it, writers!
Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help us out!
- Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
- Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
- Buy me a Coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
- Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
by nolahistoryguy | Sep 29, 2026 | French Quarter, French-Spanish Colonial
The 1779 Hurricane created major complications for the Spanish campaign against the British.
1749 map showing the Mississippi River, from New Orleans to Lake Maurepas, by F. Saucier, courtesy LOC.
How Galvez dealt with the 1779 Hurricane
Bernardo de Galvez, First Count of Galvez, assumed the Spanish Governorship of Louisiana on 1-January-1778. He followed orders from the Spanish crown to prepare for war with Great Britain. Galvez spent 1778 on these preparations, and was ready to move on the British by the Summer of 1779. He developed a plan that began with marching up the Mississippi River to capture the British outposts at Manchac and Baton Rouge. From Baton Rouge, the Spanish would then move across “West Florida,” through Mississippi to Mobile Bay. After capturing Mobile, they would then move to the primary British outpost at Pensacola. Once the British were out of West Florida, the Spanish would control the entire Florida Panhandle, from St. Augustine to the Mississippi.
Landfall
The storm made landfall at New Orleans on 17-August-1779. The Scottish-American explorer William Dunbar was in New Orleans at the time and documented the storm’s passing. While there is no storm track recorded, Dunbar observed the cyclical pattern of the winds we have come to associate with tropical cyclones. Additionally, he noted a 5-6 minute period of calm that was likely the edge of eye of the hurricane. Dunbar’s observations were presented to the American Philosophical Society in 1801, and the storm became known as “Dunbar’s Hurrican.”
Galvez reported that the “impetuous hurricane” hit the city after nightfall on 17-August. It blasted the city, with wind and rain continuing into the early hours of 18-September. The governor’s initial assessment, according to historian Steve Kling, was that “all hope was lost” in terms of defending the city against the British.
Daylight confirmed Galvez’s fears. Almost all the ships docked at New Orleans were severely damaged. The storm grounded most of the vessels. One ship, the America La Reseda, had been blown into the woods outside the city proper. The American frigate, the Morris, grounded and sunk, along with a cargo of gunpowder destined for the Thirteen Colonies.
The one bright spot in all the disaster along the river was the Spanish frigate Volante. Her captain ordered the ship’s masts cut own as the storm hit the city. The remainder of the ship was left to drift in the river and was recovered a few miles upriver. It didn’t take long for new masts to be installed and other repairs made.
City damage
In addition to the ships preparing to attack the British at Baton Rouge, the storm blew down many of the homes and buildings in the city. This concerned Galvez greatly. While his Spanish regulars would be able to mount an attack, his militia troops had to re-build their lives. As he assessed the situation, the governor took heart in the response from men of the city. They still desired to follow him into battle.
Changes in the plan
British West Florida, 1776. By Bernard Romans – From the Darlington Digital Library at the University of Pittsburgh
Prior to the hurricane, Galvez’s orders from Spain were to secure New Orleans from a possible attack by the British. He readied the movement against the British, but remained on standby. The hurricane changed his strategy. In its aftermath, Galvez determined that the best defense against the now severely weakened New Orleans was to take the fight to the British. The enemy would be unable to take advantage of the storm’s destruction if they were under attack upriver and across West Florida.
Research resources
An Unappreciated Victory, by King and Sjostrom
An Unappreciated Victory — Bernardo de Galvez’s Mississippi River Campaign in 1779 is a new book from Stephen L. Kling, Jr. and Kristine L. Sjostrom. It’s an incredibly detailed account of the beginning of the West Florida Campaign, which culminated in the capture of Pensacola in 1781. Mr. Kling is an expert on the Western Theater of the American Revolutionary War, and is the curator of the “Galvez in Louisiana” exhibit at the Cabildo. I’ve only started with the book; this article includes information both from the book and Mr. Kling’s talk at the Garden District Book Shop. We’ll continue to add other reference works on Galvez here at the end of these articles.
Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help us out!
- Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
- Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
- Buy me a Coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
- Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
by nolahistoryguy | Sep 25, 2026 | Patreon
Third Thursdays at the Jefferson Parish Library!
In This Issue
-
A Little History… – Our feature story
-
Notes from the Lakefront – Updates
-
Ad of the Week – advertising blasts from the past!
-
How you can help NOLA History Guy – Things you can do right now!
-
NOLA Six Word Writing Challenge – Exercise your imagination!
A Little History… Prep Football Culture
The officers of the Brother Martin Crusader Band and Dominican Debs dance team await their ratings at the LMEA District Six Marching Festival, Fall, 2010. Bands from across the Metro New Orleans area gathered to perform for judges at East Jefferson High School, where they were rated Superior, Excellent, or Good. Brother Martin maintained their string of Superior ratings that night.
Football Fridays
So, what does a band event have to do with “football culture?” While some school band programs perform competitively in “showcase” events across the Gulf South, most school bands turn out to support their football teams. Not only do they perform at halftime, they play in the stands to boost crowd enthusiasm.
Like many schools, Brother Martin has a strong football culture. Even though other teams have won more state championships than football, the “Friday night lights” tradition remains strong. Students, parents, and alumni come out to support not only the football players, but also all the team’s auxiliary components. There’s the training staff and statisticians, along with the band and the cheerleaders. So, adults in the crowd come to football games to see their sons and daughters, even if they don’t don helmets and play in the actual game.
Social events
Naturally, football games are opportunities for social interactions at many levels. Since most of the Catholic League schools are all-boy or all-girl, football games offer casual opportunities to put the students together. While the kids actively participating in the event don’t have a lot of time to just hang out, everyone else gets to mix and mingle.
Naturally, many parents do more than just drop kids off at the stadium. They stick around, and that means they buy tickets. Those gate receipts finance the support groups. While some schools charge fees for students to participate in band, BMHS only requires a modest uniform fee. No booster fund-raisers necessary, thanks to football.
The Debs
Co-ed schools have an easy time adding a dance team to their band programs. Brother Martin sponsored its own girls dance team, the “Saderettes,” in the 1970s. That evolved into the school partnering with one of the girls schools. For the last twenty-ish years, the Debs dance team from St. Mary’s Dominican High School join the band at games. The band directors prefer this arrangement, as it reduces a good bit of the drama. In the last couple of years, the Dominican Color Guard also join Crusader Band at games and for festival.
Performance Adjudication
Mr. Marty Hurley (may his memory be a blessing), long-time director of Crusader Band, developed a build-up strategy for halftime performances. The band started the season playing one number, maybe two short pieces. Given the heat of late August and September, this is a logical approach. The band added to the program as the season progressed. By the last game or two of the Fall, they performed the full show, all ready to present it for adjudication in November. Bands are rated in several categories: Overall Band, Auxiliary, Drum Line, and Drum Major. Units that earn Superior ratings in all categories receive recognition as “sweepstakes” winners. It’s important to note that the bands don’t compete directly against each other.
It’s not just about football, but so much more!
Book @NOLAHistoryGuy To Speak At Your Event!https://facebook.com/groups/nolauncovered
Notes from the Lakefront
why the lakefront?
The Marching 100
Big shout-out to the St. Augustine Marching 100, and in particular, their social media team! The Purple Nights played in Da Dome last weekend, which is an exciting thing for players and musicians alike. While a lot of folks only see the Marching 100 on the parade route, the band’s social media guys are bringing so much more of the program to the world this year. Check out this video from Da Dome.
Deutsches Haus!
A big THANK YOU to everyone who came out last Sunday to the Deutsches Haus for “When the French Quarter Was Sicilian.” The folks at the Haus reported 208 of y’all attended! That’s up there with the audience we had for the original presentation at the Jefferson Parish Library. As the Romigs say at Saints games, Thank you for being in that number.
Vintage Ad of the Week
Ad for Krauss Department Store, 1201 Canal Street, corner Basin, in the Times-Picayune, 24-September-1983. The city-wide “Community Bargain Days” program was long dead by 1983, killed by suburban shopping malls, but Krauss kept the tradition going, offering “Old Fashioned Bargain Days.”
How You Can Help NOLA History Guy
Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help us out!
-
Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
-
Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
-
Buy me a Coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
-
Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
Books by NOLA History Guy!
NOLA Six Word Writing Challenge
In six words or less, write a story about this image.
Post your story to NOLAHistoryGuy.com on BlueSky, or to New Orleans Uncovered on Facebook. You can also email yours to nolasixwords@nolahistoryguy.com.
What’s this all about?
by nolahistoryguy | Sep 22, 2026 | Uncategorized
The British 16th Foot fought the Spanish at Fort New Richmond.
Colors of the British 16th Foot at the Battle of Baton Rouge
The Battle of Baton Rouge and the British 16th Foot
The colors of the 16th Regiment of Foot of the British Army, as they were at the Battle of Baton Rouge, 1779. Bernardo de Galvez, Spanish Governor of Louisiana, designated Baton Rouge as the first target in his campaign to remove the British from the Gulf Coast.
The King’s Color
This flag is the national flag, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the “Union Jack.” Technically, it should be called the “Sofreign’s Color,’ but most historians refer to this color by the gender of the monarch at the time of this specific version of the flag. So, since we’re talking about the 16th Foot in 1779, it would be the King’s Color, the king being George III. While the modern version of the Union Jack includes the Cross of St. Patrick (a red cross in saltire on a white field), that addition was not made until 1801. So, we have the national flag with the Roman numeral XIV (16) in the center. The XIV is surrounded by a wreath of intertwined roses and thistles.
The Regimental Color
Each regiment in the British Army carries two colors, their Regimental Color and the King’s Color. The Regimental color’s primary field was the same color of the facings. So, for the 16th, the field color is yellow, with the Union Jack in the upper left corner. The Roman numeral XVI (16) is in the center, surrounded by a wreath of intertwined roses and thistles, same as the King’s Color
The purpose of this flag was to serve as a rallying point for members of the regiment that may get separated from the unit formation during the heat of battle.
16th Foot Soldier
This photo (by the author) shows a section of the Galvez in Louisiana exhibit at the Cabildo. These flags hang in front of a soldier of the regiment in the 1779 uniform.
How You Can Help NOLA History Guy
Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help us out!
- Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
- Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
- Buy me a Coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
- Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
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