Peake - Stiles - Person Sheet
Peake - Stiles - Person Sheet
NameRegina St. PAUL 
Birth1847, LA
DeathNov 21, 1866, New Orleans, LA
Burial1866, St. Louis Cemetery Number 2, New Orleans, LA
FatherHenri St. PAUL
MotherAmanda Eugenie PUCHEU
Misc. Notes
No children.
Buried with her parents in the family plot. Her headstone reads: espouse de John L. Rapier, 19 ans
Buried with her parents in the family plot. Her headstone reads: espouse de John L. Rapier, 19 ans
Spouses
BirthJun 15, 1842, Spring Hill, AL
DeathMay 7, 1905, Mobile, AL
Burial1905, Catholic Cemetery, Mobile, AL
OccupationCSA Marine Corps, Newspaper Owner, Postmaster
ReligionCatholic
FatherThomas Gwynn RAPIER (1805-1855)
MotherEvelina SENAC (1809-1869)
Misc. Notes
A Civil War soldier veteran and businessman. A native of Mobile, AL, he saw action as a sergeant major in the Seven Days Battles, and later became a second lieutenant in the Confederate States Marine Corps. After the war, he became the owner of the Mobile Register newspaper and served as postmaster of Mobile.
Civil War Confederate Officer. This native of Mobile, Alabama entered into Confederate service as a Private. On the early date of April 22, 1861, he enlisted into what became Louisiana's 7th Infantry Battalion. He served faithfully thenceforth through all of its hard fought battles and campaigns including 2nd Manassas, Sharpsburg and Fredericksburg. Fighting bravely at Frayser's Farm, Rapier endured short-term blindness after an artillery shell burst near him. In January 1863, he was promoted from the enlisted ranks to the position of Adjutant with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. At last he accepted a commission into the Confederate States Marine Corps. He was made a prisoner-of-war with the capture of Fort Gaines, Alabama on August 8, 1864. He made a daring escape from Union captivity on October 13, 1864, and ultimately made his way to Mobile, Alabama. After additional service aboard the CSS Morgan during the battles of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely, 2nd Lieutenant Rapier was paroled on May 10, 1865.
The book ”In the Hope of Rising Again” by Helen Scully, is loosely based on Rapier. In the novel, he is "Col. Riant"
From the Hayden/Rapier & Allied Families by Donnelly:
During the Civil War JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER fought for the confederacy in the Chasseurs-a-Pied from New Orleans, and as a Second Lieutenant in the Confederate Marines. He married first Regina St. Paul in 1866, the daughter of his commanding officer in the Chasseurs. Regina died a few months after their marriage, leaving no children. JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER married secondly on 1/18/1871 Regina de Mouy (b 1851, d 1932).
REGINA RAPIER of Social Circle, Georgia relates that in a diary kept by his father, JOHN "was a great favorite with his uncle, CHARLES RAPIER, who was a lawyer, and later a circuit judge in Mobile, and often used to visit him. He also was a favorite with his maternal uncle, Felix Senac .. "
"John and his brothers also became life long friends of James Gibbons, later to become the first U.S. Cardinal. Two of the RAPIER boys were going to church one morning when they heard a gang of young toughs plotting to beat up a newly arrived Irish boy after Mass. JOHN and his brother waited for the new boy when he came out of Church, and told the would-be assailants they would have to beat them up too. This discouraged the young bullies and they allowed JOHN and NED (EDWARD SATURNINE) to conduct the newcomer safely home. He turned out to be James Gibbons, the future Churchman."
REGINA RAPIER in telling of her grandfather continues, "One never-to-beforgotten incident in the life of JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER was the visit to Mobile of his old friend, James Gibbons, after the latter's elevation to Cardinal. In honor of the visit JOHN had the living room suite in his home upholstered in Cardinal red. JOHN's youngest son JAMES, was of course, named after his Eminence."
BROTHER THOMAS SPALDING, CFX, author of the history of the Baltimore Diocese, sent this researcher the following item from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (80-I-7) JOHN L. RAPIER to Gibbons-- Mobile,
2/12/1886, "Dear Friend." Congratulations on being named a cardinal. "My little boy Rex pointing to Cardinal McCloskey's picture in our dining room asked me if our archbishop was going to dress that way now." Your visit was the big event in the lives of my youngsters like when good Bishop Spalding visited our home when I was a child. Grateful for your sending Bishop O'Sullivan to us. Have visited him several times. Sending you by express a half dozen bottles of the extract of Acid Iron Earth, good for indigestion, dyspepsia, etc., remembering the uneasy
condition of your stomach. Remember me to Father Chapelle. (Cardinal Gibbons had a poor stomach most of his life. Placide ChapeUe (b 1842, d 1905), later became Archbishop of New Orleans.)
JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER went into the newspaper business with his father-in-law, Major St. Paul. By 1884 the papers known as the Mobile Daily and Weekly Register were published under the name of Forsyth and RAPIER. "In July, 1876, JOHN L. RAPIER & Co. became publishers of the papers, with John Forsyth remaining as editor until his death in 1877. JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER continued as publisher of the Register until death ended his career in 1905, although in 1889 it was reorganized under the name of The Register Co. The family, with his son PAUL as president, continued publication of the paper until 1910, when it was sold to Frederick I. Thompson. The Register, which is still being published, is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the nation, dating its origin back to the year 1821, and, through its purpose of the earlier Mobile Gazette, to 1812. It was widely respected and, under JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER, became one of the organizing members of the Associated Press. JOHN helped elect his brother, THOMAS G. RAPIER, who had become General Manager of the New Orleans Picayune, as a member of the first Board of Directors of the Associated Press."
JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER was appointed postmaster of Mobile by President Grover Cleveland in December, 1894. he was active in civic and Church affairs. Every year his birthday celebration consisted of a party with ice cream for the orphans of Mobile. Erwin Craighead, editor of the Register, at the time of the paper's 1OOth anniversary in 1914 described JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER as "a man of commanding presence, of frank countenance and manner; he was of fine character, self-contained, brave and generous, a Christian gentleman. He conducted the paper upon a high plane, believing that public journalism was a trust to be discharged with honor."
REGINA RAPIER concludes the account of her grandfather with, "JOHN was popularly known in Mobile as 'COLONEL RAPIER,' holding an honorary rank of colonel from the state of Alabama. Though only 58 when he died of cancer, he had started his career so young and pursued it so diligently that he was remembered among Mobilians for many years as a 'grand old man.'"
Civil War Confederate Officer. This native of Mobile, Alabama entered into Confederate service as a Private. On the early date of April 22, 1861, he enlisted into what became Louisiana's 7th Infantry Battalion. He served faithfully thenceforth through all of its hard fought battles and campaigns including 2nd Manassas, Sharpsburg and Fredericksburg. Fighting bravely at Frayser's Farm, Rapier endured short-term blindness after an artillery shell burst near him. In January 1863, he was promoted from the enlisted ranks to the position of Adjutant with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. At last he accepted a commission into the Confederate States Marine Corps. He was made a prisoner-of-war with the capture of Fort Gaines, Alabama on August 8, 1864. He made a daring escape from Union captivity on October 13, 1864, and ultimately made his way to Mobile, Alabama. After additional service aboard the CSS Morgan during the battles of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely, 2nd Lieutenant Rapier was paroled on May 10, 1865.
The book ”In the Hope of Rising Again” by Helen Scully, is loosely based on Rapier. In the novel, he is "Col. Riant"
From the Hayden/Rapier & Allied Families by Donnelly:
During the Civil War JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER fought for the confederacy in the Chasseurs-a-Pied from New Orleans, and as a Second Lieutenant in the Confederate Marines. He married first Regina St. Paul in 1866, the daughter of his commanding officer in the Chasseurs. Regina died a few months after their marriage, leaving no children. JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER married secondly on 1/18/1871 Regina de Mouy (b 1851, d 1932).
REGINA RAPIER of Social Circle, Georgia relates that in a diary kept by his father, JOHN "was a great favorite with his uncle, CHARLES RAPIER, who was a lawyer, and later a circuit judge in Mobile, and often used to visit him. He also was a favorite with his maternal uncle, Felix Senac .. "
"John and his brothers also became life long friends of James Gibbons, later to become the first U.S. Cardinal. Two of the RAPIER boys were going to church one morning when they heard a gang of young toughs plotting to beat up a newly arrived Irish boy after Mass. JOHN and his brother waited for the new boy when he came out of Church, and told the would-be assailants they would have to beat them up too. This discouraged the young bullies and they allowed JOHN and NED (EDWARD SATURNINE) to conduct the newcomer safely home. He turned out to be James Gibbons, the future Churchman."
REGINA RAPIER in telling of her grandfather continues, "One never-to-beforgotten incident in the life of JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER was the visit to Mobile of his old friend, James Gibbons, after the latter's elevation to Cardinal. In honor of the visit JOHN had the living room suite in his home upholstered in Cardinal red. JOHN's youngest son JAMES, was of course, named after his Eminence."
BROTHER THOMAS SPALDING, CFX, author of the history of the Baltimore Diocese, sent this researcher the following item from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (80-I-7) JOHN L. RAPIER to Gibbons-- Mobile,
2/12/1886, "Dear Friend." Congratulations on being named a cardinal. "My little boy Rex pointing to Cardinal McCloskey's picture in our dining room asked me if our archbishop was going to dress that way now." Your visit was the big event in the lives of my youngsters like when good Bishop Spalding visited our home when I was a child. Grateful for your sending Bishop O'Sullivan to us. Have visited him several times. Sending you by express a half dozen bottles of the extract of Acid Iron Earth, good for indigestion, dyspepsia, etc., remembering the uneasy
condition of your stomach. Remember me to Father Chapelle. (Cardinal Gibbons had a poor stomach most of his life. Placide ChapeUe (b 1842, d 1905), later became Archbishop of New Orleans.)
JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER went into the newspaper business with his father-in-law, Major St. Paul. By 1884 the papers known as the Mobile Daily and Weekly Register were published under the name of Forsyth and RAPIER. "In July, 1876, JOHN L. RAPIER & Co. became publishers of the papers, with John Forsyth remaining as editor until his death in 1877. JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER continued as publisher of the Register until death ended his career in 1905, although in 1889 it was reorganized under the name of The Register Co. The family, with his son PAUL as president, continued publication of the paper until 1910, when it was sold to Frederick I. Thompson. The Register, which is still being published, is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the nation, dating its origin back to the year 1821, and, through its purpose of the earlier Mobile Gazette, to 1812. It was widely respected and, under JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER, became one of the organizing members of the Associated Press. JOHN helped elect his brother, THOMAS G. RAPIER, who had become General Manager of the New Orleans Picayune, as a member of the first Board of Directors of the Associated Press."
JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER was appointed postmaster of Mobile by President Grover Cleveland in December, 1894. he was active in civic and Church affairs. Every year his birthday celebration consisted of a party with ice cream for the orphans of Mobile. Erwin Craighead, editor of the Register, at the time of the paper's 1OOth anniversary in 1914 described JOHN LAWRENCE RAPIER as "a man of commanding presence, of frank countenance and manner; he was of fine character, self-contained, brave and generous, a Christian gentleman. He conducted the paper upon a high plane, believing that public journalism was a trust to be discharged with honor."
REGINA RAPIER concludes the account of her grandfather with, "JOHN was popularly known in Mobile as 'COLONEL RAPIER,' holding an honorary rank of colonel from the state of Alabama. Though only 58 when he died of cancer, he had started his career so young and pursued it so diligently that he was remembered among Mobilians for many years as a 'grand old man.'"
Marriage1866