Stafford Guard: Braves of the Bayou: The story of the distinguished Avoyelles and Rapides men of Company B of the 9th Louisiana Infantry

Louisiana Civil War historian and author Art Bergeron called Staffords Guards "One of the most distinguished Louisiana units in the war." The group of central Louisiana men was almost totally destroyed in its path of some of the harshest battles of the Civil War. The Guards were named after its commander and cofounder, Leroy Augustus Stafford of Bayou Bouef. He led the men three years before he gave his own life in battle. Commanders of Stafford Guards Leroy A. Stafford, promoted to Colonel April 24, 1862 W. T. Cummings, killed May 4, 1863 at Battle of Salem Church, 2nd Fredericksburg A. C. Bringhurst, died Nov. 29, 1863 J. D. Workman, killed Sept. 22, 1864 at Battle of Fisher's Hill. The regiment was organized at Camp Moore on July 6, 1861, with 949 men. Proceeding to Virginia, the regiment arrived at Manassas too late on July 21 to participate in the battle fought there. However, the Guards were to go on an participate in 12 major battles. Stafford's Guards participated at: • Valley Campaign, Spring 1862 • Peninsula Campaign, March-July, 1862 • Second Battle of Manassas, August 28-30, 1862 • Battle of Antietam, September 16-18, 1862 • Battle of Fredericksburg • Second Battle of Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862 • Battle of Gettysburg, July 1863 • Battle of Rappahannock Station • Battle of the Wilderness Stafford killed here, May 5 • Battle of Spotsylvania, May 12. • Shenandoah Valley battles summer and fall • Petersburg, December, 1864 to April 2, 1865.