On April 14, 1863, Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas announced his appointments for officers for the 9th Louisiana Infantry, African Descent. Despite its name, this was a Union regiment. Officered by whites, the enlisted men would be black, and recruited a short time later. All of the white officers would be on “detached service” from their original regiments until their new unit was recruited up to strength and mustered in. This meant that a sergeant, for example, might be performing the duties of a captain in the new regiment – but still be paid at his old rank. They had many new duties and responsibilities to learn in a very short time.

Colonel = Maj. Hermann Lieb, 8th Illinois Infantry
Lieutenant Colonel =Capt. Charles L. Page, 20th Illinois Infantry
Major = 1st Lt. Erastus N. Owen, 20th Ohio Infantry
Adjutant/1st Lieutenant = 2nd Lt. Russell B. Neal, 20th Ohio Infantry
Quartermaster/1st Lieutenant = QM Sgt. Charles M. Clark, 8th Illinois Infantry

Captain = 1st Sgt. William S. Daniels, 23rd Indiana Infantry
Captain = Pvt. James C. Robins, 45th Illinois Infantry
Captain = 1st Sgt. Henry Powers, 20th Illinois Infantry
Captain = 1st Sgt. Samuel H. Van Kirk, 78th Ohio Infantry
Captain = 1st Sgt. John Shaw, 30th Illinois Infantry
Captain = 1st Sgt. Lyman J. Hissong, 68th Ohio Infantry
Captain = Sgt. Corydon Heath, Battery G, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery
Captain = Sgt. Elisha Dewitt, 7th Missouri Infantry
Captain = Sgt. Maj. John G. Davis, 8th Illinois Infantry
Captain = Sgt. Philip Hammond, 32nd Ohio Infantry

1st Lt. = Cpl. Edward K. Cheney, 124th Illinois Infantry
1st Lt. = Sgt. Edward P. Bruner, 23rd Illinois Infantry
1st Lt. = Sgt. Adam W. Hill, 31st Illinois Infantry
1st Lt. = Sgt. William A. Skillen, 20th Ohio Infantry
1st Lt. = Cpl. James Moore, 30th Illinois Infantry
1st Lt. = QM Sgt. Jacob Bruner, 68th Ohio Infantry
1st Lt. = Cpl. Pvt. David Cornwell, Battery D, 1st Illinois Light Artillery
1st Lt. = Pvt. James Lynch, 7th Missouri Infantry
1st Lt. = Sgt. Robert T. Paine, 8th Illinois Infantry
1st Lt. = Sgt. William B. Mossman, 32nd Ohio

2nd Lt. = Cpl. Matthew M. Miller, 45th Illinois Infantry
2nd Lt. = Cpl. John Fairweather, 124th Illinois Infantry
2nd Lt. = Sgt. Francis A. Bently, 31st Illinois Infantry
2nd Lt. = Sgt. Thomas L. Walters, 78th Ohio Infantry
2nd Lt. = Sgt. John McCleave, 30th Illinois Infantry
2nd Lt. = Sgt. Joshua Downard, 78th Ohio Infantry
2nd Lt. = Sgt. Edward P. Smith, 8th Michigan Infantry
2nd Lt. = Sgt. Edward St. Clair, 7th Missouri Infantry
2nd Lt. = Cpl. Henry Whitmore, 8th Illinois Infantry
2nd Lt. = Pvt. Emile Melzer, 32nd Ohio Infantry

This regiment would be renamed later in the war as the 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery (5th USCHA). Many of the men above would be killed or wounded in the engagement at Milliken’s Bend.

Source: Special Orders No. 9, issued by Adj. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas; 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, Regimental Papers; U.S. Colored Troops; RG 94 – Office of the Adjutant General; National Archives – Washington, DC.