Benjamin Buisson and New Orleans Street Names

Pierre Benjamin Buisson (1792-1874) was a French soldier, later New Orleans newspaper editor, parish surveyor, and (much later) even a Confederate brigadier general.  He had a fascinating life, as this brief bio summarizes.

While he was a Lieutenant in Napoleon's army, he was given a battlefield promotion for valor by the Emperor himself.

After the restoration of the Bourbons, he, like several other former French officers, migrated to the New World; in his case, to New Orleans.  He gained employ variously as an architect, surveyor, and even edited a French language newspaper.  Being in New Orleans, he also managed to fight a few duels.

One of his contributions was the establishment of an artillery unit in the local militia.  He wrote a handbook on tactics for light artillery.

Anyway, while surveying Uptown New Orleans, for the Faubourg Bouligny neighborhood, he chose the names of the streets, all on a Napoleonic theme.  Napoleon Avenue was the major thoroughfare; and there was a Josephine Street.  Several streets were named after Napoleon's victories, such as Berlin, Cadiz, Austerlitz, Marengo, Jena, and others.  After all, Napoleon awarded him the Legion of Honor.  Semi-ironically, these streets were in the American district!

During World War I, Berlin Street was re-named General Pershing.  This was a bit of misapplied patriotism, since the street was named after the Napoleonic victory and not the city.

A legend has it that his grandchildren used to tease him as to why there was an absence of Waterloo Street.  It reliably pissed the old man off!

Pierre Benjamin Buisson