The Civil War Letters and Documents of Henry C. Nichols, Captain in the First Infantry Regiment, Corps d’Afrique of New Orleans (73rd U.S. Colored Infantry); and Winner of the Medal of Honor for Gallantry at the Battle of Fort Blakely, Alabama

A small cache of 12 letters and documents dating from 1864-97, retained by Captain Henry C. Nichols, a White officer from Vermont (1832-1904) who had a distinguished military career in the Civil War. At the outbreak of the war, he first enlisted as Sergeant in the 8th Vermont Volunteers and was discharged after the Siege of Port Hudson in October 1863, for promotion as 1st Lieutenant in the Corps d’Afrique (Company E), also known as the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, the first Black military unit to serve in the Union Army. As documented in the collection, Nichols was further promoted to Captain in February 1864 when the Corps d’Afrique was about to become reorganized as the 73rd U.S. Colored Infantry (USCI). The collection includes Nichols’ official promotion letter Signed by Union Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, commander of the Army of the Gulf, together with an official letter Signed by Secretary of War, Russell A. Alger, awarding Nichols the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1897. Also included is an 1896 letter to Nichols from fellow soldier Hiram E. Perkins (1836-1908) who also was discharged from the same Vermont Regiment for promotion as Major in the 73rd U.S. Colored Infantry. Both men fought under Major General Henry C. Merriam (as mentioned in another letter to Nichols), who was the Commander of the Corps d’Afrique/73rd U.S. Colored Infantry. Most of the documents are moderately toned and creased along two old horizontal folds. Partial splitting along the folds, a few sheets are lightly singed at the outer edges of a few folds, two sheets are split apart along one fold (not affecting legibility), else good or better overall. Also included is an 1817 Nichols family manuscript document (indenture) from Vermont split apart into six quadrants along the old folds, each of which is stained with old tape residue along the edges. The Corps d’Afrique was first organized as a Confederate unit, the 1st Louisiana Native Guard in May, 1861. After the surrender of New Orleans (May 1, 1862) they joined with Union forces and became one of about 30 Union regiments of Black infantrymen, cavalrymen and artillerists recruited from around Louisiana. The Corps d’Afrique was the first Black military unit to serve in the Union Army, playing a prominent role in the siege of Port Hudson (May 22 – July 9, 1863), the final engagement in the Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River. Nichols, who also participated in the siege with the 8th Vermont Infantry, went on to lead Company E of the Corps d’Afrique during the Red River campaign (March-May, 1864) and at the Battle of Fort Blakely (April 2-9, 1865), the final major battle of the Civil War. An important, scarce survival of letters and documents belonging to a distinguished officer of the celebrated Corps d’Afrique during the Civil War. A detailed list of the collection, with quoted extracts, is available. …