Death or Victory - by A J Cade (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A. J. Cade's Death or Victory offers the first in-depth history of the Louisiana Native Guards, pioneering African American regiments within the Union army. Originating as a division of the New Orleans Home Guards in May 1861, the Native Guards consisted of free Black and Creole men who leveraged the city's established military customs to gain entry into the Home Guards. Although not officially part of the Confederate forces, their involvement compelled the federal government to contemplate forming a similar regiment, setting the stage for their transition to the Union army the following year.

Cade's research highlights the Native Guards' crucial role as a testing ground for Black participation in the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, the War Department, and the entire nation regarded these early regiments as an experiment in understanding the implications of Black service. The Native Guards exceeded expectations, engaging in significant battles and sieges. Their achievements paved the way for broader Black involvement in Louisiana and eventually throughout the Union army. Prominent figures such as Frederick Douglass cited the Native Guards as evidence of Black Americans' entitlement to full citizenship and postwar freedom, an opinion later echoed by Lincoln. Cade's work challenges existing Civil War narratives by shedding light on the overlooked contributions of the Louisiana Native Guards, rectifying misconceptions, and highlighting Black and Creole individuals who fought for their nation.

In addition to revising Civil War historiography, Cade's study also contributes to a more nuanced understanding of race and class in nineteenth-century New Orleans. Cade shows how the Native Guards reflected the unique racial dynamics of the city, where free Black and Creole men of color had long enjoyed a degree of social and economic autonomy. These men were often educated, property owning, and deeply invested in the city's civic life. Their service in the Native Guards was not just about fighting for the Union; it was also about asserting their rights as citizens and challenging the racial hierarchies that sought to deny them full participation in American society. By examining the motivations and experiences of these men, Cade provides a compelling portrait of a community that defied easy categorization and played a pivotal role in shaping the course of the Civil War.

Review Quotes

"A. J. Cade's Death or Victory, only the second book on the Louisiana Native Guards in over 150 years, fills a major gap in the historiography of the Civil War. Well-written and exhaustively researched, it revolutionizes our understanding of some of the most important Black troops in American history."--Keri Leigh Merritt, author of Masterless Men: Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South

"By comparison to the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Infantry and the First South Carolina Regiment, the First Louisiana Native Guards have not attracted the level of scholarly attention they deserve. Until now. Based on an exceptional grounding in primary and secondary sources, Death or Victory makes for indispensable reading for historians and the general public alike. A superb, important book."--Douglas R. Egerton, Lincoln Prize-winning author of Thunder at the Gates: The Black Civil War Regiments That Redeemed America

"Finally! The comprehensive treatment the Louisiana Native Guards deserve. A. J. Cade's excellent narrative covers everything: how these Black heroes changed the national conversation about slavery and emancipation, protected Black women, liberated enslaved people, and were at the vanguard of Black troops in combat. With this book, Louisiana's Black commissioned officers and unique enlisted men are restored to the prominence they achieved during the Civil War."--Lorien Foote, author of The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army

"Taking a fresh look at an important topic, A. J. Cade provides the best study of the first important Black units raised to fight for freedom in the Civil War. Based on an array of primary sources and informed by a heightened awareness of the social, cultural, and martial aspects of this subject, Death or Victory gives us a gripping view of the 'life and times' of these regiments in the recesses of the Deep South and of their initiation by fire at Port Hudson. Cade's book is a rare mix of passion and scholarship."--Earl J. Hess, author of Civil War Cavalry: Waging Mounted Warfare in Nineteenth-Century America

About the Author

A. J. Cade is a retired United States Marine and executive council member with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He is a professional military historian who holds a doctorate in history from George Washington University.