Comments on: Photo Forgery – 1st Louisiana Native Guards

By: Donald R. Shaffer

Donald R. Shaffer — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:44:34 +0000

Hi there. I mentioned that fact in my Disunion piece, although I didn’t specify a specific percentage.

By: BorderRuffian

BorderRuffian — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:54:57 +0000

Some of the men in the Confederate Native Guard later joined Federal forces (30% according to Stephen Ochs) including some who could ‘pass’ as white. The units were part of the “Corps d’Afrique.”

By: Donald R. Shaffer

Donald R. Shaffer — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:23:35 +0000

Hi A.D. Identity is in the eye of the beholder. Many of the Native Guards no doubt thought of themselves as part of a third racial group in Louisiana. For whites though who operated under the “one drop” rule, the Native Guards were African Americans and ultimately treated as such.

By: Donald R. Shaffer

Donald R. Shaffer — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:19:26 +0000

Hi Edwin. Thanks for the kind words, which are much appreciated.

By: Donald R. Shaffer

Donald R. Shaffer — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:07:03 +0000

Hi Josephine. And your evidence for this is?

Don Shaffer

By: Edwin Thompson

Edwin Thompson — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:46:52 +0000

Very good Disunion article Donald. You wrote a powerful piece on understanding black Americans in New Orleans. It must have been a difficult culture to navigate for free blacks – always concerned that they would be re-enslaved.

By: AD Powell (@mischling2nd)

AD Powell (@mischling2nd) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:37:32 +0000

The Louisiana Native Guards should not be called “African Americans” since they were European-American in culture and often predominately in race or ancestry. Claiming the mixed-race Creole minority as “African American” is a kind of “documentary genocide” (a phrase first used by Melungeon author N. Brent Kennedy).

A.D. Powell, former columnist for the web sites “Interracial Voice” and “The Multiracial Activist,” is the author of “Passing” for Who You Really Are: Essays in Support of Multiracial Whiteness.

By: JosephineSouthern

JosephineSouthern — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:04:08 +0000

Know this: There are several reasons that black persons in the South didnot want the yankee invaders to know if they assisted or concurred with the Confederates.

1. During the occupation and takeover many slaves and free blacks were killed by the invading Union army just for assisting a Southern White person, therefore they had ever reason to hide the fact from them.

2. It was more to the ex-slaves advantage to play dumb, they would get more from the union invaders that way.

3. The White Southern people had no desire to harm them by exposing
their allegiance.

4. Actions speak louder than words; Many White and black Southerners reminded life long friends, and readily helped one another when in need.

Present-ism and pseudo psychology are today part and parcel of Levin and this authors writings. Be cognizant that this is their take on that period in history. I am with James Madison when he said:

“Do not separate text from historical background. If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of illegitimate government.”
–James Madison