1st Louisiana Native Guard (CSA)
| 1st Louisiana Native Guard (Confederate) | |
|---|---|
.svg) |
|
| Active |
May 29, 1861–February 15, 1862 March 24-April 25, 1862 (Field officers commissioned May 29, 1861) |
| Country |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Allegiance |
 State of Louisiana
|
| Branch |
 Confederate militia
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 1,135 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Colonel Felix Labatut Lt. Colonel Henry D. Ogden Major S. St. Cyr |
May 29, 1861–February 15, 1862 March 24-April 25, 1862
The 1st Louisiana Native Guard (CSA) was a Confederate Louisianan militia that consisted of free persons of color. Formed in 1861 in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was disbanded on April 25, 1862. Some of the unit's members joined the Union Army's 1st Louisiana Native Guard, which later became the 73rd Regiment Infantry of the United States Colored Troops.
Shortly after Louisiana's secession, Governor Thomas Overton Moore issued pleas for troops on April 17 and April 21, 1861. In response to the governor's request, a committee of ten prominent New Orleans free blacks called a meeting at the Catholic Institute on April 22. About two thousand people attended the meeting where muster lists were opened, with about 1,500 free blacks signing up. Governor Moore accepted the services of these men as part of the state's militia.
The new militia regiment was formed during May 1861, consisting mostly of free persons of color, Creole Francophones (gens de couleur). While some members of the new regiment came from wealthy prominent free-black families, a majority of the men were clerks, artisans, and skilled laborers. At that time, an estimated 10,000 African American residents of Louisiana and New Orleans had gained their freedom.
On May 29, 1861, Governor Moore appointed three white officers as commanders of the regiment, and company commanders were appointed from among the free blacks of the regiment. The militia unit was the first of any in North America to have African-American officers. This regiment was called the Louisiana Native Guard. Though ten per cent of its members would later join the Union Army's 1st Louisiana Native Guard, the two were separate military units.
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