General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard was born near the city of New Orleans, May 28, 1818. He was of French lineage which is traced back to the thirteenth century. His great-grandfather, Jacques Toutant-Beauregard, came to Louisiana under Louis XIV as commandant of a flotilla. The mother of the general was Helene Judith de Reggio, whose grandfather, Francois Marie,Chevalier de Reggio, a descendant of the house of Este, after serving with Richelieu in the French army, was sent to Louisiana with his command, and subsequently was royal standard-bearer under the Spanish dominion. From his eleventh to his fifteenth year he was under the tutelage at New York of two retired officers of the French army, who had served under Napoleon, and at the age of sixteen he was appointed to the West Point military academy. He was graduated second in the class of 1838, with promotion to second-lieutenant of engineers. He served as assistant engineer in the building of coast defenses, was promoted first-lieutenant June 16, 1839,and was engaged in engineering duty at New Orleans and vicinity and in Maryland until the Mexican war. In March, 1847, he joined the army under General Scott.
He distinguished himself at the siege of Vera Cruz, in several bold reconnoissances before the battle of Cerro Gordo, for gallant action at Contreras and Churubusco received the brevet of captain, and at Chapultepec won the brevet of major. His plan for the reduction of the City of Mexico was adopted successfully, and he received two honorable wounds in the course of the assault. Subsequently he superintended the construction and repair of fortresses for the defense of New Orleans and Mobile, and other important engineering duties, with promotion to captain in 1853, until on January 23, 1861, he was appointed superintendent of the United States military academy. This position and his rank in the army he resigned February 20, 1861, and on March 1st he entered the Confederate service with the rank of {{hws|briga|brigadier))
