The Louisiana Native Guards were the first black regiments to
ever fight in a war. They were also the only unit to have both
black and white officials. Most of the Native Guards were men
from New Orleans whose families had been given their freedom
from the Federal government. The breakout of the Civil War led
to many free black men wanting to volunteer for the military
service. Their courage and honor was praised by the public, but
their praise did not always lead to acceptance. Southern
officials believed that blacks were inferior to whites, so
enrolling them at the same level as the white men would go
against their beliefs. Eventually, the blacks were allowed to
join the military. The ex-slaves were treated very poorly, did
not get paid, and received very little training, but they did
not give up. When asked to express their feelings about joining
the army, many would say they want to show the world that they
are equal to any soldier. It was a long, hard fight for the
Louisiana Native Guard regiments. After