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E. Arnold Bertonneau

Life

Arnold Bertonneau was a free African-American that lived in New Orleans during the Civil War and on top of being a free man he was also wine merchant. In the years after the Civil War he fought for the rights of the recently freed slaves.

Reconstruction period

Bertonneau was a vary active member of the suffrage movement in New Orleans. The reason why he became such an active member was on December 8th 1863 Abraham Lincoln made it so that only white males could vote. Bertonneau than began to collect signatures which he was able to get over a 1,000 as a petition to the federal government to allow the freed slaves to vote in the government that governs them.

Military Career

During the Civil War he wanted to serve his nation which was the Confederate States like many other men of color in Louisiana. Arnold then took a loyalty oath and became a Captain in the Louisiana Native Guard which was a volunteer free black regiment under the Confederacy. Surprisingly the Confederate States were the first one in the North America to become officers while they could only go as far as being a Company Commander this was still something that the North had not done. When the Union captured New Orleans it was disbanded and then re-commissioned as the 73rd regiment of Infantry U.S. colored troops. He then resigned his commission in protest the mistreatment and misuse of his men he did this two months before the battle of Port Hudson.

Bibliography

Foner, E. (1996). Freedom's lawmakers : A directory of Black officeholders during Reconstruction (Revised edition, Louisiana paperback ed.). Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.

Hollandsworth, J., & Frank Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana. (1995). The Louisiana Native Guards : The Black military experience during the Civil War. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.

Vincent, C. (1976). Black legislators in Louisiana during Reconstruction. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.