Louisiana, unlike other southern states, primarily maintained separated white and black military organizations. A few Louisiana “free blacks”, however, served in white Confederated units and received Confederate pensions. Among them were Charles Lutz, Jean Baptiste Pierre-Auguste, and Leufroy Pierre-Auguste of St. Landry Parish, who fought with the Confederate army troops at Shiloh, Fredericksburg, and Vicksburg.

Confederate Research Sources
Civil War Service:

Auguste, Lufoy Pierre. Pvt. Co. K. 16th La. Infty. En. Sept. 29th, 1861, Camp Moore, La. Present on All Rolls from Sept., 1861, to Oct., 1862. Roll for Nov. and Dec., 1862, ?Colored Man. Dropped from Roll by Order of Col.
Gober, Dec. 8th, 1862.?

CIVIL WAR HISTORY, Volume XXXII, No. 3, September, 1986

FREE MEN OF COLOR IN GREY
Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr.

Lufroy Pierre-Auguste was born in St. Landry Parish about 1830. He was the son of Pierre Pierre-Auguste and Gabriele Tessier, free persons of color. The 1860 census shows that Lufroy worked as a stockherder for Francois P. Pitre, Jr. Lufroy left his farm and joined Captain Daniel Gober’s Big Cane rifles, which became Company K, Sixteenth Louisiana Infantry Regiment. The first two muster rolls of this company list him as a free man of color-the only such instance found in researching these men. None of the men discussed in this manuscript, except for Lutz and possibly Gabriel Grappe, pretended they were white. The other men in their units undoubtedly knew them as free blacks. The Sixteenth Louisiana fought in the battles of Shiloh, Farmington, and Perrysville. On December 8, 1862, while in camp at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Lufroy received a discharge from Confederate service. The reason given for his dicharge was that he was a “colored man.” Apparently superior authorities had finally discovered that he was black and ordered his separation from the army. Lufroy went home, but he did become involved in one other incident before war’s end. On May 13, 1865, he surprised two Jayhawkers near Opelousas. These men made up part of a band of outlaws, deserters, and draft dodgers who resisted Confederate authority. The two Jayhawkers fired at him, and he returned fire, hitting one of the men. Lufroy married in 1869, but no further information on his life after the war has come to light so far.

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1860 United States Federal Census

Name: Lufroid p Auguste
Age in 1860: 30
Birth Year: abt 1830
Birthplace: Saint Landry
Home in 1860: Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana
Race: Mulatto
Gender: Male
Post Office: Grand Coteau
Value of real estate: View image
Household Members: Name Age
Francois P Pitre 33
Azeline C Pitre 28
Francois Pitre 10
Estelle Pitre 9
Arthure Pitre 7
Azeline Pitre 5
Armant Pitre 3
Octave Pitre 9.12
Diomel s Durio 16
Lufroid p Auguste 30

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1870 St. Landry Parish, LA Census Record

Leufroi Pierre-Auguste 40 M Mulatto LA Farmer $300 $225
Caroline Pierre-Auguste 37 F Mulatto LA
Celestine Pierre-Auguste 21 F Mulatto LA
Narcisse Pierre-Auguste 17 M Mulatto LA
Azelie Pierre-Auguste 14 F Mulatto LA
Valmont Pierre-Auguste 13 M Mulatto LA
Pierre Pierre-Auguste 11 M Mulatto LA
Eugenie Pierre-Auguste 8 F Mulatto LA *Wife of Valmont LeBlanc brother
to William, Elizabeth, Zeolide, Etienne
Meranthe Pierre-Auguste 6 F Mulatto LA *Wife of William LeBlanc

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William Leblanc m. November 26, 1879 Merante Pierre August (Opelousas Courthouse marriage #11100). Married December 18, 1879, St. Landry Catholic Church, Vol. 2, page 521
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1880 United States Federal Census

Home in 1880: 1st Ward, Saint Landry, Louisiana
Auguste Lufroid Pierre 50 M Mulatto LA Farm Laborer
Caroline Pierre 50 F Mulatto LA
Eustine Pierre 30 F Mulatto LA Daughter
Ophelia Pierre 9 F Mulatto LA Granddaughter

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1900 United States Federal Census

Name: Marrent Lablanc
Home in 1900: Police Jury Ward 1, Saint Landry, Louisiana
Age: 38
Estimated birth year: abt 1862
Birthplace: Louisiana
Relationship to head-of-house: Wife
Spouse’s name: William
Race: Black
Occupation: View image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
William Lablanc 41
Marrent Lablanc 38
Uless Lablanc 19
William Lablanc 19
Albert Lablanc 12
Marrie Lablanc 9
Robert Lablanc 7
Joseph Lablanc 5
Josephine Lablanc 5
Henry Lablanc 4
Adam Lablanc 3
Ella Lablanc 2

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1910 United States Federal Census

Name: Eulis Leblance
[Eulis Leblanc]
Age in 1910: 29
Estimated birth year: abt 1881
Birthplace: Louisiana
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father’s Birth Place: Louisiana
Mother’s Birth Place: Louisiana
Spouse’s name: Madlene
Home in 1910: Police Jury Ward 1, St Landry, Louisiana
Marital Status: Married
Race: Mulatto
Gender: Male
Eulis Leblance 29
Madlene Leblance 21
Octavie Leblance 4
Ledia Leblance 2/12

Thanks for weighing in on this. The tendency of so many to interpret the available sources as evidence of a black Confederate reflects both the continued influence of the Lost Cause as well as an inability to think about the proper questions to ask. You are absolutely right that we need some serious scholarly research on this issue. I hope Pete Carmichael eventually takes it on. See you in November.

What exactly did you read? There are plenty of post-war photographs that show Confederate Veterans with black men, some of whom are dressed in uniform. These images are not of black soldiers, but of former personal body servants. We know that servants sometimes saved money to purchase a uniform and I have the letters of a South Carolina captain who outfitted his servant with a uniform.

Until we finally get some solid/reputable research on this subject we are in no position to say much of anything in terms of how many served as soldiers. Actually, much of the evidence points in the direction of a very small number who represent the exception rather than the rule. The burden is on those who make the claims and not on those who are skeptical.

There are plenty of books and articles that cover the Gettysburg Reunions, but I don’t remember seeing anything about “black Confederates” who attended. Keep in mind that Black Union soldiers were not invited.

http://kindredblood.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/where-was-the-scv-for-these-descendents-of-black-confederates/

The actions of southerners during Reconstructions and the Civil Rights Movement seems to dismantle the idea of black confederates.

I also see that dixie outfitters has taken Kevin to “task” several times on their site…must be doing something right…

The information for Ms. Wood is provided in one of the links so you are free to contact her to see if she might be interested. That said, from what I’ve read she doesn’t seem to be the type who is going to deviate from her position one bit. Best of luck.

I wonder if these folks would take the time to look at the opposite side of the field, per say. I wonder if they know of the whole regiments of Union cavalry raised in central Tennessee to fight against the Confederacy? Wonder if they’d be interested in tracing down some Federal veterans gravesites? From a raw statistical point of view, it would be far easier to locate the grave of a Tennessee unionist than that of an alleged black Confederate.