Creole Guards Company (Free Men of Color), Alabama Confederate Militia 1861-1865, Mobile, Alabama.

This newspaper snippet appeared in the local Mobile, Alabama newspaper in 1861 and mentions the Creole Guards which were composed of "Free Men of Color". The members of this Company were all descendants of early French or Spanish Colonial Settlers and "Women of Color", both slave and free. This Company was composed of the members of "Creole #1" which was an all Volunteer Fire Company composed of "Creoles of Color" and founded in 1819. This Company served in Confederate State service for local defense and its name was changed in the first week of April 1865, to the Native Guards. The Company surrendered when Mobile fell on April 12th, 1865, although a handful of its members evacuated the City and surrendered on May 4th, 1865, with General Richard Taylor's forces.


The following appeared in the Mobile, Alabama newspaper in 1861. "THE CREOLE GUARDS --- This company paraded yesterday about 60 strong, and showed that they have been paying diligent attention to their drill. At fires, the Creoles can beat all the other companies in finding water. In case of invasion they will not fail to show equal alacrity and success in finding our enemy. We would be willing to risk the event of the contest on and an encounter between them and a Horace Greeley for Captain and Beecher and Cheever for Lieutenants. How they would run at a charge of bayonets from the Creoles and wouldn't we all carry the Creoles high after the bloodless victory !" Curious about what the future holds? Click here to find out how you can receive a 10 minute psychic reading from Psychic Source.