Louisiana's 'Black Confederates'

[jgoodguy]

Articles I found recently to be interesting.
These are reading assignments, but I make no assertions at this point so it is strictly for your pleasure.
[url=http://emergingcivilwar.com/2015/05/20/black-confederates/]Black Confederates: Laborers or Soldiers? Part 1[/url]
[url=http://emergingcivilwar.com/2015/05/20/black-confederates/]Black Confederates: Laborers or Soldiers? Part 2[/url]
[url=http://emergingcivilwar.com/2015/05/20/black-confederates/]Black Confederates: Laborers or Soldiers? Part 3[/url]
[url=http://emergingcivilwar.com/2015/05/20/black-confederates/]Black Confederates: Laborers or Soldiers? Part 4[/url]
[url=http://emergingcivilwar.com/2015/05/20/black-confederates/]Black Confederates: Laborers or Soldiers? Part 5[/url]
Related
Black Confederates
“We were the ‘men’”: The Ambiguous Place of Confederate Slaves in Southern Armies

 

[jgoodguy]

Andersonh1 said:

...the Native Guard stayed and eventually became troops in the Union army... Actually, only about 10% of the Native Guard switched sides.

I've read that too. OTOH I have read accounts ranging from 10 to 100%

 

[jgoodguy]

Andersonh1 said:

...these men did not get any weapons from the CSA nor the state of Louisiana... Louisiana was a weapon supplier to other states and other units, to the point that they weakened themselves so much they could not muster an effective defense when New Orleans was threatened in 1862. Plenty of white volunteer militia had no weapons. It wasn't just the Native Guard.

Interesting. Reference?

 

[jgoodguy]

WJC said:

As I understand, the Native Guard was disbanded February 16, 1862. The new unit, formed in September 1862, was mostly newly recruited, inexperienced freed slaves, though about 10% of the original Guard enlisted.
Why so few of the original members chose to enlist is unclear. It may be, as you seem to suggest, that they were loyal to the rebel cause. It might also be that they were done soldiering because of other responsibilities or choices.

The Free Men of Color Go to War, In short, the Native Guards did not join CSA forces outside of N.O.

One extensive study of Louisiana’s 65,000 Confederate soldiers identified only 15 who were known to be of African descent.)​

Patriotism Frustrated: The Native Guards of Confederate Natchitoches Behind JSTOR paywall. Describes the attempts of a company of free men of color to join the CSA war effort only to be rebuffed several times.

 

[jgoodguy]

Andersonh1 said:

O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME LIII [S# 111]
Confederate Correspondence, Etc.--#8

HDQRS. LOUISIANA MILITIA, ADJT. GEN.'S OFFICE,
New Orleans, January 28, 1862.
Hon. J.P. BENJAMIN, Secretary of War:

SIR: I am instructed by Governor Moore to inform you of the position of this State in regard to arms After having responded to the several requisitions made upon it, and placing into the field not less than 20,000 troops, all armed, ; that to put the troops into the field to meet the enemy with such arms would be the result of loss and damage to our troops. This State, and this city particularly, will sooner or later be the scene of action on the part of the Federals, and should an attempt be made to attack it our force would scarcely be better off than with wooden muskets.

I am further directed to say, by the Governor, that he has been called upon for another regiment to be transferred to the Confederate States for the war. Two companies have already organized, four more are in progress of organization, find he has strong hopes that in a short time the regiment will be completed; , and General Lovell does not consider himself authorized to receive them unless armed. Having thus exposed to you the too true unfortunate condition of this State, I am instructed by Governor Moore to ask if there can be no possibility . The Governor respectfully requests an answer, which he hopes will be favorable.

With the assurance of the Governor's highest regard, I remain, your obedient servant,

M. GRIVOT,
[6.] Adjutant and Inspector General.

We are in agreement that the negro regiments were not given any arms despite LA arming 26.5 white regiments.

 

[jgoodguy]

WJC said:

Thanks for the added information.
Everything I've read about this unit, often brought up as evidence of 'Black Confederate' soldiers shows that they were shunned by the CSA.
As to the number who joined the US version, somewhere recently I read the actual enlistment numbers from which that 10% figure is derived, but I couldn't put my finger on it earlier. As I recall the 10% figure was 'close enough for government work'.

The Free Men of Color Go to War

James G. Hollandsworth Jr., a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi who wrote the definitive study of the Native Guards, found that only 108 of the 1,035 members of the Louisiana militia regiment, or about 10 percent, went on to serve in the Union’s Native Guards.​

He goes on to say.

This would seem to indicate that a large number of the black militiamen were indeed sincere in their desire to fight for the South and defend their homes against invasion.​

However we have this from another source,
Negro Troops in Blue and Gray: The Louisiana Native Guards, 1861-1863
Mary F. Berry
Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association
Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring, 1967), pp. 165-190
Published by: Louisiana Historical Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4230950
P169

This would seem to indicate that a large number of the black militiamen were indeed sincere in their desire to fight for the South and defend their homes against invasion.

 

[jgoodguy]

Andersonh1 said:

As long as we're also in agreement that plenty of white regiments also went unarmed.

Fine with me, they are probably from the Southern lower poor white trash cannon fodder caste good enough to die for the slave owners' country but not good enough to share in the economic bounty of the South.

edited to add

As evidence of this.

Negro Troops in Blue and Gray: The Louisiana Native Guards, 1861-1863
Mary F. Berry
Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association
Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring, 1967), pp. 165-190
Published by: Louisiana Historical Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4230950
P170

The poor whites abandoned their political masters.As long as we're also in agreement that plenty of white regiments also went unarmed.

 

[jgoodguy]

The main motive of this thread is that when a claim is made that a subject is a 'Black Confederate' someone is going to be looking under the covers and if the definition in their mind is different, there will be problems.

 

[jgoodguy]

[url=https://civilwartalk.com/goto/post?id=1823203]ForeverFree said:[/url]

I made this point in the thread about identifying blacks in the CSA army. We already know that the CSA used blacks as laborers. There was a class of enlistees who were cooks or musicians or servants. The idea that negroes perform non-combat labor duties even as enlistees is not a revelation... is it really a surprise that a Negro in a Confederate uniform might be dedicated to cooking food?

Laborers have issued clothing. The assumption is army clothing without insignia and perhaps nonmilitary buttons. Need to investigate further.

[url=https://civilwartalk.com/goto/post?id=1823203]ForeverFree said:[/url]

The question has always been, how many slaves were intended to be combat soldiers?

Zero.

 

[jgoodguy]

alan polk said:

For someone half watching from the sidelines, and thus not fully informed, what does it mean when some of these blacks are listed as conscripts? Does this mean the government is conscripting a slave owner’s property - like impressment of slaves - or are these free blacks being conscripted for support roles by the government?

The CSA government conscripted blacks into various noncombat roles such as laborer, orderly and cook. To confuse things they were given a rank of private for pay purposes.

 

[jgoodguy]

alan polk said:

So the conscription was not impressment? When we read about conscription laws generally, is this sort of conscription of slaves different than the conscription of whites? Since it involved property, was it not impressment of the property of the owner of the slave? I’m just wondering if “conscription” is being conflated or do we accept it as generally understood.

Depending on my memory.
* There was conscription of whites only into military service.
* There was conscription of whites into nonmilitary service.
* There was conscription of free blacks into nonmilitary service.
* There was conscription of slaves into nonmilitary service paying owners.
* There was also impressment of property.
* Impressed slaves were called conscripts.
This is a where is as is opinion without warranty expressed or implied.

 

[Al Mackey]

"Free Men of Color in Grey" by Arthur Bergeron.

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/civil-war/Free-Men-of-Color-in-Grey.pdf

 

[jgoodguy]

"Free Men of Color in Grey" by Arthur Bergeron.

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/civil-war/Free-Men-of-Color-in-Grey.pdf

Thanks for the source.

 

[Tom]

One extensive study of Louisiana’s 65,000 Confederate soldiers identified only 15 who were known to be of African descent.)​

I believe he is referring to the Bergeron article, but Bergeron didn't say he made a study of 65,000.

 

[Tom]

The CSA government conscripted blacks into various noncombat roles such as laborer, orderly and cook. To confuse things they were given a rank of private for pay purposes.

Did the Confederates say that?- "We'll give them the rank of private for pay purposes."

 

[Tom]

We are in agreement that the negro regiments were not given any arms despite LA arming 26.5 white regiments.

"no real plan for their use was decided upon until April 24, when news of Farragut's fleet steaming upriver spurred a subordinate of General Lovell to hastily distribute old muskets to the Native Guards and post them along the Esplanade side of the French Quarter." -New Orleans after the Civil War by Justin A. Nystrom, p.25

 

[jgoodguy]

Did the Confederates say that?- "We'll give them the rank of private for pay purposes."

Paraphase.