The 6th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, sometimes 6th Regiment, European Brigade, originally the Italian Guards Battalion, and commonly referred to as the Garibaldi Legion in honor of the Italian revolutionary

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as (). In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as () or (). 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. H ...

(who vocally supported the Union), was a

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

that fought for the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. They were well known for showing their ethnic pride by wearing cocked hats with plumes in the Italian national colors as well as adopting the red uniform worn by Garibaldi's soldiers.

Service

Asides from miscellaneous skirmishes, the 6th Regiment was primarily tasked with protecting the city of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

from a Union invasion or civil unrest in the city. Because most regular units were sent out to the frontlines, the state became defenseless. To solve this issue, Governor Thomas Overton Moore issued a call to arms for the regiment to deploy throughout the state. The regiment acted as the

home guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

in the city and Louisiana in general for the duration the regiment was deployed. The regiment was disbanded on May 2, 1862, one day after the city fell to Union forces.

Total strength

During peak membership, the 6th Regiment, European Brigade numbered around 500 soldiers with the vast majority of them being first or second generation immigrants from Europe.

Commanders

* Lt. Col. Joseph G. Della Valle Italians in the Confederate Army
/ref> * Captain Marzoni Gaudenzio * Captain Giuseppe Santini * First Lieutenant Ulysses Marinoni * Second Lieutenant Ernesto Baselli

References

{{Louisiana Confederate units navbox Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Louisiana Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1862

Service

Total strength

Commanders

See also

References