December 19 …
Battalion of Free Men of Color or D’Aquin’s Battalion — officially designated Major D’Aquin’s Battalion of Free Men of Color — was a short-lived Louisiana Militia unit of free people of color that fought at the Battle of New Orleans and shaped debates about Black military service and citizenship in the early United States.
Formed following General Andrew Jackson’s proclamation in September 1814, which invited free people of color to enlist with the promise of a 160-acre bounty, the unit was mustered into service on December 19, 1814. It remained active until early 1815.
Recruitment predominantly came from Creole refugees from Saint-Domingue, and the battalion was organized into four companies — a grenadier company, a chasseurs company, and two line companies — initially numbering around 256 men, though their effective fighting strength was approximately 150 during the engagement on January 8, 1815.
Key figures included Major Louis D’Aquin, the unit’s nominal commander and a white Creole officer, and Captain Joseph Savary, a Creole refugee and veteran of the wars in Saint-Domingue, who was the de facto leader on the battlefield. The battalion fought alongside other Louisiana units, including Major Jean Baptiste Plauché’s battalion, under the overall command of General Andrew Jackson during the December 23, 1814 sortie and the main battle on January 8, 1815.
The primary stakeholders included the United States Army and Andrew Jackson, who authorized and deployed the battalion, as well as municipal and white New Orleans authorities and citizens, who were concerned about the social implications of armed Black troops. The free men of color who enlisted sought pay, land, and social recognition.
While intended beneficiaries included the enlistees who were promised land and rewards — and the American defensive effort in Louisiana — the promised land bounty was largely unfulfilled.
The battalion received contemporary military acclaim. Jackson praised their “courage and perseverance,” and Savary was specifically commended. However, following their victory, they faced civic exclusion. Municipal authorities prohibited Black soldiers from participating in official celebrations, and Jackson ordered the unit out of New Orleans due to white backlash. The battalion was disbanded shortly thereafter.
Although some veterans went on to Spanish Texas or joined conflicts in Latin America, the immediate recognition the Battalion of Free Men of Color received was limited to military commendations rather than the comprehensive political or material rewards that were initially promised.
