Louisiana Tigers Outdone?

This story from the New York Times was brought our way courtesy of Terry Jones. Dr. Jones makes a very interesting oberservation regarding the story: "I find it interesting he did not feel it necessary to explain who the Louisiana Tigers were--apparently all Northerners were familiar with them."


New York Times, February 18, 1863

The Indians have had quite enough of rebel rule during the past two years; and from what we have recently learned from a leading man among the Cherokees, we have no doubt they will now joyfully return to the protection of the Union. They have probably suffered as much from the rebellion as the people of any State or region in the whole land. Many of them were loyal, and the drunken rebel savages under Pike set upon such with a fury and ferocity which could not be surpassed by Louisiana "Tigers." Villages were burnt down, farms broken up, women and children tortured and killed, and thousands, literally thousands, driven into exile in Kansas.

Drunken rebel savages, fury and ferocity could not be surpassed by Louisiana "Tigers." It seems the reputation the Louisiana soldiers established within the Confederate army was notorious across the lines. The writer was wanting to establish just how horrible the men under General Albert Pike and used a comparison to the Tigers to make his point.