▁Following ▁Lieutenant ▁We ber ' s ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁Fort y - four th ▁Regiment , ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁first ▁lieutenant ▁and ▁appointed ▁adj ut ant ▁by ▁Colonel ▁Chap in . ▁During ▁this ▁time ▁Lieutenant ▁We ber ▁helped ▁with ▁rec ruit ing ▁for ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁One ▁H undred ▁and ▁Six teenth ▁New ▁York ▁regiment ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁▁ 8 9 th ▁United ▁States ▁Col ored ▁Infantry ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁We ber ▁att ained ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁colon el , ▁two ▁days ▁before ▁his ▁twenty - first ▁birth day , ▁when ▁he ▁accepted ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁E ight y - n inth ▁United ▁States ▁Col ored ▁Infantry . ▁He ▁chose ▁the ▁appointment ▁to ▁the ▁colored ▁regiment ▁over ▁the ▁appointment ▁to ▁a ▁Massachusetts ▁regiment . ▁The ▁ 8 9 th ▁regiment ▁was ▁organized ▁out ▁of ▁Port ▁Hudson , ▁Louisiana ▁between ▁October ▁ 8 ▁and ▁November ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁being ▁designated ▁the ▁" 1 8 th ▁Infantry , ▁Corps ▁d ' A frique ". ▁Early ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁during ▁the ▁Red ▁River ▁Camp aign , ▁We ber ▁had ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁his ▁men ▁re ass igned ▁leaving ▁him ▁only ▁a ▁hand ful . ▁To ▁re build ▁his ▁numbers ▁he ▁was ▁promised ▁rep lac ements ▁from ▁the ▁slaves ▁that ▁were ▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁liber ated ▁during ▁the ▁campaign . ▁These ▁rep lac ements ▁were ▁never ▁acquired ▁and ▁We ber