Born at Saint Bernard Parish, below New Orleans, Louisiana to a family of great local influence, Beauregard graduated from West Point second in the Class of 1838. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Artillery, July 1, 1838 and later that month, July 7, 1838, was transferred to the Corps of Engineers. As he began his career at West Point he dropped the hyphen between Toutant and Beauregard and by the 1840's has dropped his given name entirely, thereafter known as Gustave Toutant Beauregard. In 1845 he explained the change:

". . .was merely for the sake of brevity, my name being rather a long one I endeavored to shorten it as much as possible."

Beauregard was not tall in stature, being 5 foot 7 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. He spoke with a faint French accent, having only learned English while attending school in New York City. The fourth ranking officer of the Confederacy, he began his military career as Assistant Engineer in the construction of Ft. Adams, Newport Harbor, RI, 1838- 1839 and of the Defenses of Pensacola Harbor, FL, 1839-1840. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers, June 16, 1839.

Beauregard was Assistant Engineer, of the Survey of Barataria Bay, LA, 1840-1841; and of the repairs to Ft. Jackson, Mississippi River, LA, 1841; Superintending Engineer in the building of Tower Dupre, and of the repairs of the defenses of the eastern passes to New Orleans, LA, 1841-1844, and 1845-1846; and of the repairs to Ft. McHenry, MD, 1844-1845.

In the War with Mexico, he was engaged in the construction of the defenses at Tampico, 1846-1847. He was engaged in the Siege of Vera Cruz, March 9-29, 1847; the Reconnaissance and Battle of Cerro Gordo, April 17-18, 1847; Reconnaissance of the Pedregal, August 19, 1847; Battle of Contreras, August 19-20, 1847; and Battle of Churubusco, August 20, 1847. He was breveted to Captain, August 20, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco.

Beauregard was involved in the Reconnaissance of the approaches to the City of Mexico, September 9-13, 1847; the Battle of Chapultepec, September 13, 1847; and the Assault and Capture of the City of Mexico, September 9-13, 1847, where he was wounded in storming the "Causeway Battery", and again near the Belen Gate. He was breveted to Major, September 13, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the Battle of Chapultepec. Following the War, he was Superintending Engineer in the building of Ft. Gaines, Mobile Harbor, AL, 1848-1849, of the repairs of Forts St. Philip and Jackson, LA, 1849-1852, and of Ft. Livingston, LA, 1849-1852. He served as a member of a special Board of Engineers for the improvement of the Delta of the Mississippi River and construction of a harbor on Lake Pontchartrain, LA, 1852-1853. He was promoted to Captain, Corps of Engineers, March 3, 1853.

He served as Superintending Engineer of the New Orleans Custom House, LA, 1853-1860; in general supervision of the opening of the southwest pass into the Mississippi River, and construction of a harbor on Lake Pontchartrain, LA, 1853. He served as a Member of a special Board of Engineers for projecting the defenses on the Gulf Frontier of Alabama, Mississippi and Texas, 1857; and for the protection of the site of Ft. McRee, FL, 1858; was Superintending Engineer of New Orleans Marine Hospital and Quarantine Warehouses, 1859-1860. He was assigned as Superintendent of the U. S. Military Academy, January 23- 28, 1861. His short service in this post is probably due to his Southern sympathies.

Beauregard resigned his commission on February 20, 1861 and accepted appointment as Brigadier-General, Provisional Army, CSA, on March 1, 1861. He was placed in command at Charleston and in April supervised the reduction of Fort Sumter. In June he was second in command at First Manassas, under Joseph E. Johnston.

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
As a Brigadier General in Early 1861

He was commissioned a full General to rank from July 21, 1861, making him junior only to Samuel Cooper, Albert Sydney Johnston, Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston. Beauregard soon was at odds with the administration and as time went on, his criticisms became more severe. He complained of ineptitude and malice of the government and Jefferson Davis soon had his fill. In 1862 Beauregard was sent to the west. He was second in command to General A. S. Johnston at the Battle of Shiloh and assumed command of the Army of Tennessee when Johnston was killed. His retreat to Corinth, MS, and its abandonment under the threat of General Halleck's larger force, spurred critics, not the least of whom was Davis.

While on sick leave, Beauregard was replaced in command by Braxton Bragg. His relationship with President Davis deteriorated rapidly, to the point where they were no more cordial than Davis and General Joseph E. Johnston had been.

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard

Beauregard was placed in command of the defense of the South Carolina and Georgia coast and performed quite well, notably at Charleston in 1863-1864. In June, 1864 he supported Robert E. Lee in Virginia and probably saved Richmond by anticipating Grant's intentions against Petersburg before General Lee could be made aware of the situation. He served under Joseph E. Johnston in the closing weeks and returned to New Orleans after the surrender.

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
Showing the Aging Effects of War

After the War, Beauregard served as President of two railroads which made him a wealthy man in his own right. Along with Jubal A. Early, he supervised drawings of the Louisiana lottery, and for many years Adjutant-General of that state.

G. T. Beauregard participated in several of the Aztec Club's activities.  In the letter below, he writes to Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock about the upcoming Aztec Club meeting and dinner held at Philadelphia in 1880.

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