The 8th Louisiana Regiment Infantry (African Descent) was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. It was composed primarily of freed or escaped slaves from

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

s and was commanded by white officers.

Organization

In the spring of 1863,

Col. Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Hiram Scofield Hiram Scofield (July 1, 1830 – December 30, 1906) was a lawyer and Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He entered the Army as a private in 1861 and was discharged as a colonel on January 5, 1866. In February 1866 he was nomi ...

, a veteran officer in the 2nd Iowa Infantry, organized the 8th Louisiana Infantry at

Lake Providence, Louisiana Lake Providence is a town in, and the parish seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. ...

. The new regiment was mustered into service on May 5.

Vicksburg Campaign

During the

Vicksburg Campaign The Vicksburg campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi Riv ...

, the regiment was attached to the African Brigade, District of Northeast Louisiana. The

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

was led successively by Col. Isaac F. Shepard (who was under arrest at the time of the

Battle of Milliken's Bend The Battle of Milliken's Bend was fought on June 7, 1863, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War. Major General (United States), Major General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army had placed the strategic Mississippi Rive ...

) and then

Hermann Lieb Hermann Lieb (also known as Herman Lieb;Eicher p.348 May 23, 1826 – March 5, 1908) was a Swiss immigrant to the United States who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is best remembered as the commander of the Union for ...

(wounded June 7, 1863). Finally, Lt. Col. Charles J. Paine led the brigade as the campaign wound down. Returning to Lake Providence, the regiment was engaged in a minor battle on June 9 against a small

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

force composed of the 13th Texas Infantry Regiment and the 13th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion. The 8th Louisiana was then on routine garrison duty at

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

, until the late winter of 1864. Then, it participated in the expedition up the

Yazoo River The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the ...

from February 1 until March 8, and participated in the capture of

Yazoo City, Mississippi Yazoo City is a U.S. city in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's m ...

, on February 4.

U.S. Colored Troops

The regiment subsequently returned to Vicksburg, where it was reorganized as the 47th Regiment Infantry,

United States Colored Troops The United States Colored Troops (USCT) were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of African-American (colored) soldiers, although members of other minority groups also served within the units. They were first recruited during ...

on March 11.

References

{{Reflist

External links

8th Louisiana Infantry, African Descent – Vicksburg National Military Park
Infantry, 008 Louisiana Infantry, 008 Military units and formations established in 1863 1863 establishments in Louisiana Military units and formations disestablished in 1864 1864 disestablishments in Mississippi

Organization

Vicksburg Campaign

U.S. Colored Troops

See also

References

External links