While the conversation was at its height, with sharp questions and answers upon both sides, the men of “White’s cavalry” became uneasy and were ready for a fight, intimating to Lieutenant White their desire to “clean out” the provost-marshal’s gang. They were held in check, until finally Lieutenant White notified Marmillon it was of no use to talk further about the matter, he did not intend to leave the parish and should not, but the best thing he (Marmillon) could do was to get out himself with his crowd of scallywag cut-throats, about as rascally a set of men as he ever saw, for his own men were a little excited, and if he did not clear out he would not hold himself responsible for the consequences. This appeared to settle the matter, for the provost-marshal and his men went away saying they would be heard from again. That night Marmillon, or somebody, sent to Lieutenant White a threatening letter, with peremptory orders to leave the parish.
The negroes were attentive listeners to all that passed between the two parties. During the evening one of them quietly asked White to go with him to the storehouse, where he found these negroes had made a barricade, with their bedding, baggage, and sundry traps of all kinds, on the three sides approached by land (the fourth side was on the water front), so as to make the building almost bullet proof. In the vicinity were about two hundred negroes, armed with long sugar-cane knives, very excited and full of fight. They said, let the provost-marshal and his gang make an attempt to use force and they would wipe them out of existence.
The situation was not pleasant to contemplate, not knowing what Marmillon with his men would attempt to do, and they could not get away. Repeated attempts to stop boats on the river were failures. The boats hug the east bank as though they feared some trick was attempted upon them. This uncertain state of affairs continued for several days without interference from any quarter, White and his men in the saddle most of the time, raiding around to prevent any attempt to surprise them. Finally Lieutenant White and Corporal Young seized a horse and wagon, drove to Donaldsonville and, by pluck combined with CHEEK, compelled a steamer bound down river to land at the storehouse and take the negroes on board. They were landed at the Parapet and turned over to the proper officers. This detail was absent about thirteen days, unable all that time to communicate with Captain Leonard, who thought the party had been captured by the enemy.
Several other short trips after negroes were made at various times by Lieutenants Phillips and Sanderson without any trouble while performing that duty.
Preliminary steps were taken in March towards enlisting from the negro camps a sufficient number of men to organize the First Regiment Louisiana Engineers, to form a part of the “Corps d’Afrique,” then under consideration, and later on ordered to be organized as proposed in General Orders No. 40, from headquarters Nineteenth Army Corps, issued May 1st, 1863, at Opelousas. In those orders Major-General Banks proposed to organize a corps d’armee of colored troops, to consist ultimately of eighteen regiments, representing all arms—infantry, artillery and cavalry—organized in three divisions of three brigades each, with appropriate corps of engineers, and flying hospitals to each division.
Considering the character and standing of many men who received commissions in these regiments the following part of General Orders No. 40 sounds like buncombe. The extract is as follows:
“In the field the efficiency of every corps depends upon the influence of its officers upon the troops engaged, and the practicable limits of one direct command is generally estimated at one thousand men. The most eminent military historians and commanders, among others Thiers and Chambray, express the opinion, upon a full review of the elements of military power, that the valor of the soldier is rather acquired than natural. Nations whose individual heroism is undisputed have failed as soldiers in the field. The European and American continents exhibit instances of this character, and the military prowess of every nation may be estimated by the centuries it has devoted to military contest, or the traditional passion of its people for military glory. With a race unaccustomed to military service, much more depends on the immediate influence of officers upon individual members than with those that have acquired more or less of warlike habits and spirit by centuries of contest. It is deemed best, therefore, in the organization of the Corps d’Afrique to limit the regiments to the smallest number of men consistent with efficient service in the field, in order to secure the most thorough instruction and discipline, and the largest influence of the officers over the troops. At first they will be limited to five hundred men. The average of American regiments is less than that number.
The chief defect in organizations of this character has arisen from incorrect ideas of the officers in command. Their discipline has been lax, and in some cases the conduct of the regiments unsatisfactory and discreditable. Controversies unnecessary and injurious to the service have arisen between them and other troops. The organization proposed will reconcile and avoid many of these troubles.”
The First Louisiana Engineers comprised twelve companies of sixty-five men each, in three battalions, under command of Colonel Justin Hodge, U. S. A. This regiment was conceived in the following manner: all negroes employed at work upon the fortifications were in a camp by themselves, styled “the engineer camp.” These negroes were organized into gangs of one hundred and twenty-five men each, commanded by two enlisted men from Companies C and H, each gang numbered one, two, three and so on, the same as companies in a regiment. The gangs were further subdivided into squads of twenty-five men, commanded by the most intelligent negro to be found. Before recruiting for this regiment was thought of, acting under orders these gangs were often drilled in marching, the facings, and other exercises without arms, by the detailed men who commanded them. Contrary to expectation, they took a great interest in these drills and improved rapidly, manifesting considerable intelligence for slaves, one reason why it was easy work to handle them, for they obeyed all orders without causing trouble, accustomed as they had been to doing so for their late masters.