“On the 23d of November, 1861, there was a grand review of the Confederate troops stationed at New Orleans.  An Associated Press despatch announced that the line was seven miles long.  The feature of the review, however, was one regiment of fourteen hundred free colored men.  Another grand review followed the next spring, and on the appearance of rebel negroes a local paper made the following comment: 

“’We must also pay a deserved compliment to the companies of free colored men, all very well drilled and comfortably uniformed.  Most of these companies, quite unaided by the administration, have supplied themselves with arms without regard to cost or trouble.  On the same day one of these negro companies was presented with a flag, and every evidence of public approbation was manifest.’”

     (Williams’s Negro Troops in the Rebellion, pp. 83-4)]

“The Second Louisiana Native Guards, with Colonel N.W.  Daniels and Lieutenant-Colonel Hall, white, and Major Francis E. Dumas, colored, and all the line officers colored except one Second Lieutenant, was mustered into service for three years, October 12, 1862.  General Banks changed its designation to Second Infantry Corps d’Afrique, June 6, 1863, and April 6, 1864, it was changed to Second United States Colored Troops.  Finally it was consolidated with the Ninety-first as the Seventy-fourth Colored Infantry, and mustered out October 11, 1865.

“The Third Regiment of Louisiana Native Guards, with Colonel Nelson and all field officers white, and all line officers (30) colored, was mustered into service at New Orleans for three years, November 24, 1862.  Its designation went through the same changes as the others at the same dates, and it was mustered out November 25, 1865, as the Seventy-fifth Colored Infantry.

“Soon after the organization of the Third Regiment, trouble for the colored officers began, and the department began a systematic effort to get rid of them.  A board of examiners was appointed and all COLORED officers of the Third Regiment were ordered before it.  They refused to obey the order and tendered their resignations in a body.  The resignations were accepted and that was the beginning of the end.  Like action with the same results followed in the First and Second Regiments, and colored officers were soon seen no more.  All were driven out of the service except three or four who were never ordered to appear before the examining board.  Among these was your humble servant.  I was then Captain of Company A, Second Regiment, but I soon tired of my isolation and resigned.”

Later on in the war, with the general enlistment of colored soldiers, a number of colored chaplains and some surgeons were commissioned.  Towards the close of the war several colored line officers and a field officer or two were appointed.  The State of Massachusetts was foremost in according this recognition to colored soldiers.  But these later appointments came, in most cases, after the fighting was all over, and gave few opportunities to command.  At the close of the war, with the muster out of troops the colored officers disappeared and upon the reorganization of the army, despite the brilliant record of the colored soldiers, no Negro was given a commission of any sort.