4th United States Colored Infantry Regiment

4th United States Colored Infantry Regiment
Library of Congress, attribution · Public domain · source
Unit name	4th United States Colored Infantry Regiment
Dates	January 14, 1863 – October 13, 1866
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Battles	Siege of Port Hudson, Red River Campaign, Battle of Fort Blakely
Notable commanders	Colonel James G. Cox

4th United States Colored Infantry Regiment was an African American volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized under the Bureau of Colored Troops and mustered into service in early 1863, the regiment participated in major Western Theater operations and occupation duties during Reconstruction. Its service linked campaigns in Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas and involved cooperation with units from the United States Colored Troops, United States Army, and state militia formations.

Formation and Organization

The regiment was organized at New Orleans, Louisiana and mustered under authority of the Bureau of Colored Troops, created by the United States War Department on May 22, 1863. Recruitment drew freedmen and formerly enslaved men from parishes along the Mississippi River, linked to recruiting efforts spearheaded by officers assigned from the Union Army and volunteer agencies such as the Freedmen's Bureau and abolitionist networks. The unit structure conformed to standard infantry regimental tables of organization, with companies lettered A through K, and officers commissioned under provisions set by the Act of March 3, 1863 that regulated enlistment and command of African American troops. Training and initial garrison duties took place at posts including Baton Rouge, Port Hudson, and Ship Island staging areas.

Service History

After formation, the regiment joined operations during the Siege of Port Hudson follow-up duties, reinforcing Union control over the lower Mississippi River. Elements participated in the Red River Campaign (1864), advancing inland from Alexandria, Louisiana and engaging in skirmishes associated with the campaign's battles such as Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, while conducting guard and escort missions protecting supply lines. Detached companies were assigned to provost duty in New Orleans and garrison work at river fortifications and posts along the Gulf of Mexico coast. In 1865, the regiment took part in operations against Confederate positions in coastal Alabama, including actions connected to the Battle of Fort Blakely and the campaign leading to the fall of Mobile, Alabama. Following Confederate surrender, the regiment served on occupation duty during early Reconstruction tasks across Alabama and Texas, including enforcement of federal directives, protection of freedpeople, and assistance with Freedmen's Bureau activities until mustering out in October 1866.

Commanders and Personnel

Commanded initially by white officers appointed under War Department regulations, notable commanders included Colonel James G. Cox and subordinate officers drawn from volunteer regiments and regular army detachments. Noncommissioned leadership comprised veteran sergeants and corporals who brought experience from prior service in state militias and other United States Colored Troops regiments. Distinguished enlisted personnel served alongside chaplains and medical staff connected to the United States Sanitary Commission and regimental surgeons who coordinated care with nearby hospitals such as Camp Parapet Hospital and facilities in New Orleans. Interaction with prominent Union figures in the department, including commanders from the Department of the Gulf and officers involved in the Red River Campaign like Nathaniel P. Banks and staff, influenced operational assignments.

Casualties and Strength

Regimental strength fluctuated through enlistment, detachments, and battlefield losses, consistent with attrition patterns seen across African American regiments in the Western Theater. The unit sustained casualties from combat engagements during the Red River operations and Mobile campaign and suffered losses to disease in Gulf Coast garrisons where malaria, dysentery, and yellow fever affected troop health. Records indicate men were transferred between posts such as Baton Rouge and Galveston, Texas to reinforce numbers, and replacements were drawn from local recruitment and drafts administered by the Bureau of Colored Troops. Mortality among enlisted men reflected both combat and noncombat causes, with burial sites and postwar pension claims tied to national records maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration.

Legacy and Commemoration

The regiment's service contributed to the wider legacy of the United States Colored Troops in securing Union victory and shaping early Reconstruction policy. Veterans participated in civic life and veterans' organizations including Grand Army of the Republic posts and engaged with institutions such as historically Black churches and schools established during Reconstruction with support from the Freedmen's Bureau and northern missionary societies. Memorialization of actions at sites like Port Hudson National Cemetery and regional museums preserves artifacts and rosters; modern scholarship on African American military service references the regiment in studies by historians of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and African American military history. Commemorative efforts involve state historical societies, battlefield preservation groups such as the Civil War Trust, and local heritage projects that document service records held in repositories including the Library of Congress and state archives.

Category:Units and formations of the Union Army from Louisiana Category:United States Colored Troops Civil War regiments