Fire, Latin, Macbeth and Thank you for the Money Feb 14 1899

Jim Moran III
St Albans School 1899

Gustave Toutant Beauregard
St Albans School 1899

As much as I enjoy Moran letters I love it when they are written on letterhead giving additional information. For instance, this letterhead tells me Jim was an associate editor with his friend Gustave Toutant Beauregard on Promus '99 which might be the yearbook for St. Albans School.

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Malcolm J. Taylor, Editor-In-Chief
Ray Jones, Business Manager
PROMUS '99
Associate Editors:
Henry G. McCall
Charles S. Brent
James H. Moran
James B. Faulkner
Gustave T. Beauregard

Radford, VA    Feb 14, 1899

Dear Papa:

Your letter with the check enclosed was received a few days ago and I was very glad to hear from you.  The check could not have reached me at a better time, for it will now come in very handy.  Last night one of the main buildings caught fire from the furnace and it took us over an hour to put it out.  I never saw such a cold night in all my live, the water would freeze in ten steps of the fire.  I ruined my shoes and pants but otherwise come out alright.  The weather is moderating somewhat and I think it will be a great deal warmer tomorrow.

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page 3

Tell Sister (Fannie) that the book which I wrote for was the Latin book Livy and if yo she can find it to please send it at once, she can also send me her notes on Macbeth.  I must bring this letter to a close.  Write soon, with much love to all.

Your son,

J H Moran

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Gustave Toutant Beauregard

One of the many friends of James H. Moran III was Gustave Toutant Beauregard, the son of Rene Beauregard and grandson of Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, one of the most colorful and interesting general's of the Confederate States of America.  

Gustave T. Beauregard became a Captain in the United States Army in the Military Intelligence Division.  At the time of his death, January 3, 1931 in Staten Island NY, he was an attorney for the Federal Trade Commission.  He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

I would imagine that Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a difficult name to live up to.  As a matter of fact his nickname among his friends at the University of Virginia was "Gen'l" and as you can see on the back of his picture he referred to himself as "Genl" and his friend James Moran was "Brandy". Do a google search for "Gustave Toutant Beauregard" and you will be hard pressed to find anything except page after page of hits regarding his famous grandfather, P.G.T. Beauregard.  And images of Gustave Beauregard, the grandson, are even rarer.

Another friend of the "Genl" and "Brandy" was Henry George McCall.  His father was a sugar planter and very active in Louisiana politics.  His family owned the Evan Hall Plantation in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, and the letter he wrote to James Moran dated July 16, 1898  is on letterhead from Evan Hall.  Henry McCall went on to become a lawyer with a busy general practice in New Orleans.

So here's to you Gustave Toutant Beauregard and your friend James Henderson Moran III who thought highly enough of you to keep your picture and an invitation to a German Club event where you were on the Invitation Committee.  "Gent" and "Brandy", BFF's forever.

October 21, 1879 - January 3, 1931

Backside of the photo. "G.T. Beauregard from "Genl" to "Brandy", 6/9/99.
James H. Moran had the nickname "Brandy" during his years in higher education. 

Letter from Henry George McCall to James H. Moran III.
Written from Evan Hall Plantation.  Note the "General's address is--
Gustave T. Beauregard Station 1 New Orleans LA"

Invitation found among James H. Moran's papers from the St. Albans German Club.
G.T. Beauregard was on the Invitation Committee.