▁New ▁Orleans , ▁Louisiana , ▁and ▁must ered ▁between ▁September ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁and ▁ 3 1 ▁March ▁ 1 8 6 7 . ▁Its ▁first ▁command ing ▁officer ▁was ▁Colonel ▁Edward ▁H atch . ▁The ▁men ▁en list ed ▁for ▁the ▁usual ▁term ▁of ▁five ▁years ▁and ▁priv ates ▁received ▁$ 1 3 ▁per ▁month , ▁plus ▁room , ▁board , ▁and ▁cl othing . ▁Y he y ▁soon ▁gained ▁the ▁nick name ▁of ▁" B uff alo ▁Sold iers ". ▁The ▁regiment ' s ▁mot to ▁is ▁" We ▁Can , ▁We ▁Will ". ▁ ▁The ▁must ering , ▁organized ▁by ▁Maj . ▁Francis ▁Moore , ▁ 6 5 th ▁U . ▁S . ▁Col ored ▁Infantry , ▁formed ▁the ▁nucle us ▁of ▁the ▁en list ed ▁strength , ▁and ▁was ▁obtained ▁from ▁New ▁Orleans ▁and ▁its ▁vic inity . ▁In ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁rec ruit ing ▁began ▁in ▁Kentucky , ▁and ▁all ▁the ▁men ▁of ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁were ▁obtained ▁from ▁that ▁state ▁and ▁Louisiana . ▁The ▁horses ▁were ▁obtained ▁at ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri . ▁About ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁September ▁all ▁rec ruits ▁were ▁assemble d ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁where ▁empty ▁cot ton ▁press es ▁were ▁used ▁as ▁bar ra cks . ▁An ▁ep ide mic ▁of ▁ch ol era ▁caused ▁ 2 9 ▁soldiers ' ▁death s ▁between ▁October ▁and ▁December , ▁with ▁ 4 6 ▁other ▁soldiers ▁desert ing ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁March ▁ 1