Our Colored Troops--The Line Officers of the First Louisiana National Guards

Art Historical Context

Created in 1863 by printmaker John R. Hamilton *Our Colored Troops--The Line of the First Louisiana Native* captures a pivotal moment in American history. This striking print portrays key Union officers from the regiment, including Charles Sentmanat, Ed Charles Davis, Joseph L Montieu, Louis D Larrieu, and Jean Louis Lavigne.icted in military attire—complete with caps, rifles,, beards, and mustachesse men stand as proud symbols of valor, their portraits rendered in detailed illustration style typical of mid-19th-century prints. The artwork holds immense historical significance amid the Civil War, when the First Louisiana Native Guard became one of the first officially sanctioned African American regiments in the Union Army. Composed of free men of color from New Orleans, these "colored troops" proved their loyalty and bravery after earlier attempts to defend the city against Confederate forces. Hamilton's print served as both commemoration and recruitment tool, challenging racial stereotypes and boosting Northern morale. As a period print from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, it exemplifies the era's lithographic techniques, which allowed for affordable mass production and wide dissemination. Today, it reminds visitors of the overlooked contributions of Black soldiers to the fight for freedom, blending portraiture with patriotic fervor.