Fig. 21. Top: Battle of Port Hudson (Library of Congress)
Bottom: Funeral of Capt. Andre Cailloux in New Orleans, July 29, 1863, from the August 29, 1863, edition of Harper’s Weekly
On May 27, 1863, the first large battle that included a black regiment occurred at Port Hudson, Louisiana. Butler had mustered the regiment into Union service, making it the first black regiment to serve the Union and the only black regiment to have black officers. The men in Butler’s First Regiment of Louisiana Native Guard lived up to their promise to Butler that they would fight with courage and honor. They attacked a heavily defended Confederate fort over five times, until their force of nine hundred men was cut down to fewer than three hundred. William Wells Brown published several newspaper articles that described the battle. The battle drew national attention. The following articles appeared in the New York Herald and New York Tribune.[1]
“
“The New-York Herald, June 6—
“The First Regiment “The First Regiment Louisiana Native Guard, Col. Nelson, were in this charge. They went on the advance, and, when they came out, six hundred out of nine hundred men could not be accounted for. It is said on every side that they fought with the desperation of tigers. One negro was observed with a rebel soldiers in his face with his teeth?? (John are there some words missing here? This line doesn’t make sense), other weapons having failed him. There are other incidents connected with the conduct of this regiment that have raised them very much in my opinion as soldiers. After firing one volley, they did not deign to load again, but went in with bayonets; and, wherever they hail a chance, it was all up with the rebels.”
“The New-York Tribune, June 8, 1863-“Nobly done, First Regiment of Louisiana Native Guard! Though you failed to carry the rebel works against overwhelming numbers, you did not charge and fight and fall in vain. That heap of six hundred corpses, lying there dark and grim and silent before and within the rebel works, is a better proclamation of freedom than even President Lincoln’s. A race ready to die thus was never yet retained in bondage, and never can be. Even the Wood copperheads, who will not fight themselves, and try to keep others out of the Union ranks, will not dare to mob negro regiments if this is their style of fighting. “ [2]
As mentioned above, the Louisiana Native Guard was the only black regiment that fought in the Civil War with black officers. One of the officers who died in the Battle of Port Hudson was a local free black named Capt. Andre Cailloux. His funeral gained national attention in the North; however, his accomplishment was not a part of New Orleans black history. I discovered this black Civil War history was hidden when I visited New Orleans the summer before Hurricane Katrina. I toured the area with a very knowledgeable black tour guide. He was aware of all New Orleans history except black Civil War history. He said that he had never heard of the Louisiana Native Guard or the Battle of Port Hudson. This history is common knowledge because it was published in the North, but it remains unknown to blacks in New Orleans.
“The death of Capt. Andre Caillouxcreated a profound sensational throughout Louisiana, and especially in New Orleans, where the deceased had lived from childhood. This feeling of sorrow found vent at the funeral, which took place on the 11th of July, 1863. We give the following, written at the time by a correspondent of a New.York Journal :-
—“NEW ORLEANS, Saturday, Aug. 1, 1863.
“The most extraordinary local event that has ever been seen within our borders, and, I think, one of the most extraordinary exhibitions brought forth by this Rebellion, was the funeral of Capt. Andre Callioux, Company E, First Louisiana National Guards. Here, in this Southern emporium, was performed a funeral ceremony that for numbers and impressiveness never had its Superior in this city; and it was originated and carried through in honor of a gallant soldier of the despised race, to enslave which, it is said, will soothe this State back into the Union.”[3]
Sergeant Spencer
During the siege of Port Hudson, a new schoolhouse was erected for the black soldiers who had been enlisted in that vicinity. When the school opened, the following speech was made by a colored soldier called Sergeant Spencer. Spencer gave the following speech at the school’s dedication:
“ I has been a-thinkin’ I was old man; for, on de plantation, I was put down wid de old hands, and I quinsicontly feeled myself dat I was a old man. But since I has come here to de Yankees, and been made a soldier for de Unite States, an’ got dese beautiful clothes on. I feels like one young man ; and I doesn’t call myself a old man nebber no more. An’ I feels dis ebenin’ dat, if de rebs came down here to dis old Fort Hudson, dat I could jus fight um as brave as any man what is in the Sebenth Regiment. Sometimes I has mighty feelins in dis ole heart of mine, when I considers how dese ere ossifers come all de way from de North to fight in de cause what we is fighten fur. How many ossifers has died, and how many white soldiers has died, in dis great and glorious war what we is in ! And now I feels dat, fore I would turn coward away from dese ossifers, I feels dat I could drink my own blood, and be pierced through wid five thousand bullets. I feels sometimes as doe I ought to tank Massa Linkern for dis blessin’ what we has ; but again I comes to de solemn conclusion dat I ought to tank de Lord, Massa Linkern, and all dese ossifers. ‘Fore I would be a slave ‘gain, I would fight till de last drop of blood was gone. I has ‘cluded to fight for my liberty, and for dis eddication what we is now to receive in dis beautiful new house what we has. Also I hasn’t got any eddication nor no book-learnin’, I has rose up dis blessed ebenin’ to do my best afore dis congregation. Dat’s all what I has to say now ; but, at some future occasion, T may say more dan I has to say now, and edify you all when I has more preparation. Dat’s all what I has to say. Amen.”[4]
[1] Brown, Negro in the American Rebellion, 175.
[2] Brown, William Wells, The Negro in the American Rebellion, 175.
[3] Brown, Negro in the American Rebellion, 186.
[4] Ibid., 281.