| Unit Name: | Corps d'Afrique |
| Dates: | May 1, 1863 – Apr. 4, 1864 |
| Country: |  United States |
| Type: | Corps |
| Commander1: | Nathaniel P. Banks |
| Commander1 Label: | Major General |
| Battles: |
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The Corps d'Afrique was an African American corps that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
On May 1, 1863, General Orders No. 40, Department of the Gulf, was issued by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks and stated the intent of forming a corps-sized unit composed of colored soldiers:
The major-general commanding the department proposes the organization of a corps d'armee of colored troops, to be designated as the Corps d'Afrique. It will consist ultimately of eighteen regiments, representing all arms -- infantry, artillery, cavalry -- making three brigades of two regiments each, and three divisions of three brigades each, with appropriate corps of engineers, and flying hospitals for each division, appropriate uniforms, and the graduation of pay to correspond with the value of services, will be hereafter awarded. [1]
The Corps d'Afrique was formed from the four infantry regiments of the Louisiana Native Guard raised by Major General Benjamin F. Butler (before Banks replaced him as commander of the Department of the Gulf) and the five colored infantry regiments raised by Brigadier General Daniel Ullman.[2] Most of the remainder of the regiments would be formed at New Orleans, Louisiana.
Though the Louisiana Native Guard regiments had black officers, including Andre Cailloux and P. B. S. Pinchback, eventually Banks would purge the black officers of the Louisiana Native Guard[3] and replace them with white soldiers from other units, primarily from the North. Units created subsequent to General Order No. 40 would be initially staffed with white officers. First Lieutenant Charles Sauvinet would be the only black officer from the Louisiana Native Guard to retain his commission until the end of the war.
Utilizing both voluntarily enlistment and conscription of freedmen and escaped slaves, the corps eventually grew to over twenty regiments before being absorbed into the Bureau of Colored Troops in April 1864. [4]
| Infantry | |||
| Predecessor unit | Corps d'Afrique unit | U.S. Colored Troops unit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 73rd U.S. Colored Troops | ||
| 2nd Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 74th U.S. Colored Troops | ||
| 3rd Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 75th U.S. Colored Troops | ||
| 4th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 76th U.S. Colored Troops | ||
| N/A | 6th Louisiana (African Descent) | (inactivated) | |
| N/A | 7th Louisiana (African Descent) | 64th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| 8th Louisiana (African Descent) | (same) | 47th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| 9th Louisiana (African Descent) (old) | 1st Mississippi Heavy Artillery (African Descent) | 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery | |
| N/A | 9th Louisiana (African Descent) (new) | 63rd U.S. Colored Troops | |
| (same) | 48th U.S. Colored Troops | ||
| 11th Louisiana (African Descent) | (same) | 49th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| (same) | 50th U.S. Colored Troops | ||
| N/A | 5th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 77th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 6th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 78th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 7th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 79th U.S. Colored Troops (old) | |
| N/A | 8th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 80th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 9th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 81st U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 10th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 82nd U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 11th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 83rd U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 12th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 84th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 13th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 85th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 14th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 86th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 15th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique)* | 99th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 16th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 87th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 17th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 88th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 18th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 89th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 19th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 90th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 20th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 91st U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 22nd Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 92nd U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 25th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 93rd U.S. Colored Troops | |
| |||
| Cavalry | |||
| Predecessor unit | Corps d'Afrique unit | U.S. Colored Troops unit | |
| N/A | 1st Cavalry (Corps d'Afrique) | 4th U.S. Colored Cavalry | |
| N/A | Mounted Rangers (Corps d'Afrique)** | N/A | |
| |||
| Artillery | |||
| Predecessor unit | Corps d'Afrique unit | U.S. Colored Troops unit | |
| 1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery (African Descent) | 1st Heavy Artillery (Corps d'Afrique) | 10th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery | |
| N/A | 1st Battery, Light Artillery (Corps d'Afrique) | Battery C, 2nd U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery | |
| N/A | 2nd Battery, Light Artillery (Corps d'Afrique) | Battery D, 2nd U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery | |
| N/A | 3rd Battery, Light Artillery (Corps d'Afrique) | Battery E, 2nd U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery | |
| |||
| Engineers | |||
| Predecessor unit | Corps d'Afrique unit | U.S. Colored Troops unit | |
| 1st Louisiana Engineers | 1st Engineers (Corps d'Afrique) | 95th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 2nd Engineers (Corps d'Afrique) | 96th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 3rd Engineers (Corps d'Afrique) | 97th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | 4th Engineers (Corps d'Afrique) | 98th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| 15th Infantry (Corps d'Afrique) | 5th Engineers (Corps d'Afrique) | 99th U.S. Colored Troops | |
| Medical | |||
| Predecessor unit | Corps d'Afrique unit | U.S. Colored Troops unit | |
| N/A | Corps d'Afrique General Hospital | (same) | |
| Bands | |||
| Predecessor unit | Corps d'Afrique unit | U.S. Colored Troops unit | |
| N/A | Brigade Band No. 1 (Corps d'Afrique) | Brigade Band No. 1, U.S. Colored Troops | |
| N/A | Brigade Band No. 2 (Corps d'Afrique) | Brigade Band No. 2, U.S. Colored Troops | |