US Cailloux, Andre

Andre Cailloux​

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Born: 1825

Birthplace: Louisiana

Father: Unknown

Mother: Unknown

Wife: Felicie Coulon ? - 1874

Children:

Four Children, names and lives unknown; three survived infancy​

Education:

Learn cigar making as a slave​

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May have learned to read and write English and French at Institute Catholique​

Occupation before War

1825-1846: Slave, owned by the Duvernay family of New Orleans​

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1846: Received manumission​

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Established cigar-making business, based on his experience as a slave​

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Participated in city sports; considered one of the best boxers of the city​

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Supported the Institute Catholique to educate children of free people of color and black orphans

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Prominent community leader​

Civil War Career

1861: Militia Lieutenant, Louisiana Native Guards (Confederate)​

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His company was considered well drilled and well trained​

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September 1862: Captain, Company E, 1st Louisiana Native Guards (Union)​

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Company E was considered the best drilled in the Native Guards​

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Earned respect of Colonel Spencer Stafford​

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Remained in command despite the efforts of department commander Nathaniel Banks to oust black officers from command, as well as general racism from other white Union officers​

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May 1863: Participated in the Siege of Port Hudson​

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May 27, 1863: Led Company E, 1st Native Guards, in assault on Port Hudson​

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Shouted encouragement to his men in English and French, leading charge of the regiment

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Wounded badly in the arm; continued to lead the charge​

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Nearly bisected by Confederate shell; killed instantly​

Died: May 27, 1863

Place of Death: Port Hudson, Louisiana

Cause of Death: Artillery shell

Age at time of death: 37 or 38 years old

Place of Burial: Saint Louis Cemetery Number 2, New Orleans, New Orleans Parish, Louisiana

 

[Luke Freet]

Went through Black History Month without realizing that there aren't really any entries here on any black figures of the war, either in the ranks or politicians. I asked @gentlemanrob if he was planning anything, but he seems backlogged and busy, so he's allowing me to make these entries.
I intend to cover a few more soldiers before looking at politicians and civilians. May make next ones on Francis Dumas (Major of the 2nd Native Guards) and P. B. S. Pinchback (future Governor of Louisiana, the first black governor in US history), and I'll get to guys like Sergeant Carney and Major Delany down the line.

 

[Luke Freet]

Cailloux became a celebrity in New Orleans for his heroic martyrdom at Port Hudson. His funeral was a massive event, attended by thousands of black men in the city. He has gotten broader recognition by the public in more recent years.

 

[Pollaco]

The Confederate Native Guard disbanded right after the capture of New Orleans by Farragut.Gen. Butler then organized the 1st Louisiana Native Guard this time Union. The unit was commanded by Col. Spencer Stafford.Originally all the officers from Major up were white and the captains and lieutenants were black.Banks intended to remedy that by making all officers white. He almost succeeded but not in Cailloux's Regiment, he still remained a captain.

 

[Luke Freet]

The Confederate Native Guard disbanded right after the capture of New Orleans by Farragut.Gen. Butler then organized the 1st Louisiana Native Guard this time Union. The unit was commanded by Col. Spencer Stafford.Originally all the officers from Major up were white and the captains and lieutenants were black.Banks intendedtorememdy that by making all officers white. He almost succeeded but not in Cailloux's Regiment, he still remained a captain.

The 1st Native Guards got away with most of its officers remaining black because the enlisted men in that unit were mostly french-speaking, and knew little English. Few of the New England officers assigned to command black units knew enough French to competently command them, and so Cailloux and others were left in command.

 

[Pollaco]

Gen. Banks denied request to bury the dead of the Native Guard. Cailloux's decomposing corpse remained on the battlefield for 47 days until Port Hudson surrendered.Cailloux's body was identified by a ring he wore.

 

[Pollaco]

Myths and legends had Cailloux and his Co. making numerous suicidal charges against the Confederate redoubt.It was a suicidal charge but only one was actually made.

 

[USS ALASKA]

A Black Patriot and a White Priest: Andre Cailloux and Claude Paschal Maistre in Civil War New Orleans by Stephen J. Ochs

Stephen J. Ochs chronicles the intersecting lives of the first black military Civil War hero, Captain André Cailloux of the 1st Louisiana Native Guards, and the lone Catholic clerical voice of abolition in New Orleans, the Reverend Claude Paschal Maistre. Their paths converged in July 1863, when Maistre, in defiance of his archbishop, officiated at a large public military funeral for Cailloux, who had perished while courageously leading a doomed charge against the Confederate bastion of Port Hudson. The story of how Cailloux and Maistre arrived at that day and what happened as a consequence provides a prism through which to view the black military experience and the complex interplay of slavery, race, radicalism, and religion during American democracy's most violent upheaval.

A Black Patriot and a White Priest: Andre Cailloux and Claude Paschal Maistre in Civil War New Orleans (Conflicting Worlds): Ochs, Stephen J.: 9780807125311: Amazon.com: Books

A Black Patriot and a White Priest: Andre Cailloux and Claude Paschal Maistre in Civil War New Orleans (Conflicting Worlds) [Ochs, Stephen J.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A Black Patriot and a White Priest: Andre Cailloux and Claude Paschal Maistre in Civil War New...

www.amazon.com

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Luke Freet]

I have scanned through Hollandsworth's book on the Native Guard, and he makes a claim that Cailloux got his education in a Paris University (pg. 25). I am not sure how true this is; the information I posted here was mostly from Wikipedia so not the best source, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of good citations on the information presented there.