Lafayette Parish Biographies

MOUTON, Alexandre,

Governor of Louisiana, was born on Bay on Carencro, Attakapas (Lafayette parish) La., Nov. 19, 1804; son of Jean Mouton, an Acadian refugee. He attended the local schools, studied law under Judge Simon and was admitted to the Louisiana bar in 1825. He settled in practice in Lafayette parish, represented his district in the Louisiana legislature, 1828-33 and 1836-39, and was speaker of the house for two sessions. He was a Democratic presidential elector at large from Louisiana in 1829, 1833 and 1837 ; was the defeated Democratic candidate for representative in the 22d congress in 1830; was elected to the U.S. senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Alexander Porter, Jan. 5, 1837, and was re-elected for a full term, serving until March 3, 1842, when he resigned, having been nominated as the Democratic candidate for governor of Louisiana. On Jan. 30, 1843, he was inaugurated first Democratic governor of the state, his term expiring on the adoption of a new state constitution in 1846. He was president of the Southwestern railroad convention, New Orleans, La., January, 1852 ; a delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1858 and 1860 ; president of the Vigilance committee of Lafayette parish in 1858, and a delegate to and president of the state convention at Baton Rouge that passed the secession ordinance, Jan. 23,1861. He was a defeated candidate at a joint session of the legislature convened to elect two senators to the Confederate congress, Nov. 29, 1861. He was twice married, first to Lilia, daughter of Jean Jacques Rousseau and granddaughter of Gov. Jacques Dupre; and secondly to Emma, daughter of Col. C. R. Gardner (q.v.), U.S.A. His son Alfred (q.v.) was a Confederate soldier, and his daughter Mathilda married Gen. Franklin Gardner, C.S.A., graduate of West Point, 1843, who defended Port Hudson. He died on his plantation near Vermillionville, La., Feb. 12, 1882.