Estopinal, Albert, 1845-1919

<p>Albert Estopinal Sr. (January 30, 1845 – April 28, 1919), was a sugar cane planter from St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, who served as a Democrat in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature between 1876 and 1900 and in the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st congressional district from 1908 until his death eleven years later at the age of seventy-four.</p>

<p>Estopinal was born in St. Bernard Parish, which is located to the east of New Orleans. He was a son of Joseph Estopinal (1816–1881) and the former Felicia Gonzales (1821–1865). Their ancestors came from the Canary Islands, Spain. Settlers in Louisiana from the Canaries are known as Isleños. Felicia was Joseph's second wife. Both were natives of St. Bernard Parish. Estopinal attended public and private schools in St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans.</p>

<p>In 1862, at the age of seventeen, Estopinal left school to enlist as a soldier in the St. Bernard Guards of the 28th Louisiana Regiment of the Confederate Army. He began as an orderly sergeant in Company G. He fought in the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou in December 1862, the opening exchange of what became in July 1863 the decisive Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in which he commanded a squad which transported prisoners from Indianola in Sunflower County in northwestern Mississippi, to Libby on the Gulf Coast.</p>

ESTOPINAL, Albert, a Representative from Louisiana; born in St. Bernard Parish, La., January 30, 1845; attended the public and private schools; left school in January 1862 to enlist in the Confederate Army and served in Company G, Twenty-eighth Regiment, Louisiana Infantry; made sergeant of Company G, Twenty-second Louisiana Heavy Artillery, and served throughout the Civil War; engaged in the commission business at New Orleans for several years but most of his life was spent at his home, ``Kenilworth Plantation,'' near New Orleans; sheriff of St. Bernard Parish 1872-1876; member of the State house of representatives 1876-1880; member of the constitutional conventions in 1879 and 1898; served in the State senate 1880-1900; Lieutenant Governor 1900-1904; chairman of the Democratic State central committee in 1908; elected as a Democrat to the Sixtieth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Adolph Meyers; reelected to the Sixty-first and to the five succeeding Congresses and served from November 3, 1908, until his death in New Orleans, La., April 28, 1919; interment in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, New Orleans, La.