Company I of the 16th Louisiana Infantry was originally referred to as"The Castor Guards" from Bienville Parish, Louisiana. They were also referred to as Mabry's and Houston's after their commanders as the war progressed. They were one of several Confederate militia groups formed at Bienville at the beginning of the Civil War. The Castor Guards assembled on 1 September 1861 at the Castor Church (now the site of the Old Castor Cemetery), and rode to Camp Moore, Louisiana. As in every small community across the south, the men who formed these units were brothers, cousins and neighbors. They knew each other most, if not all of their lives. And they were now gathering to take off to the war front together. Bidding farewell to their families, the soldiers left for Camp Moore, just north of Tangipahoa, Lousiana for training. When they arrived, they were assigned as Company I of the 16th Louisiana Infantry. The 16th Regiment was officially organized on September 29, 1861, at Camp Moore. Besides the men from Bienville, it contained men from Avoyelles, East Feliciana, Caddo, Livingston, Rapides, St. Landry, and St. Helena parishes of Louisiana. There were originally a total of 851 soldiers in the regiment, including the Castor Guards. Apparently, the regiment added soldiers through recruitment as they traveled, and consolidated with other units. The regiment spent the winter at training camp in Louisiana. During the Civil War, troops could only move easily in dry months, so very few battles took place in the middle of winter. This book outlines with illustrations the four years of war that this Bienville Parish group underwent. It also contains a roster and service record of its soldiers. The following men were in the Castor Guards Alexander, William E. Amason, John W. Ard, J. M, died at Shiloh Barker, Andrew J. Besant, Robert A. Blackman, J. H. Booker, William Brackin, Alfred Bryan, Terrell Bryant, William H. Brackin, Alfred Brackin, John Braswell, Blake William Brill, Samuel Brinson, Anthony W., died in Georgia Brooks, C. W. Bryan, Terrell Bryant, William H. Byas, Thomas H. Campbell, Harper M. Campbell, William, Killed at New Hope Carlile, John W. Chandler, John W. Died 1863 Chitwood, James O., Killed at Murfreesboro Clark, Jeff, Died at Nashville Clark, Samuel J. Died at Tennessee Cline, Alexander Cockeram, Henry E. Died in war Comelander, Joseph Collinsworth, Samuel N. Died 1864 Conover, John Cooper, William P. Davis, William D. Foster, William C. Grice, John C. Gough, Enos Harvard, John Hinson, John Hinson, Charles Hilbun, Fredrick E. Hinton, John W. Jinks, William Koonce, Andrew Long, John E. Long, Joseph, H. Long, Andrew J. Lovin, James Mayberry, William T. McDonald, Hiram Mobley, Allen Monroe, Jackson A. Miller, Thomas J. Morgan, William Murphy, Elijah F. Mobly, Joseph B. Peavy, Allen Pitman, James S. Pullen, Francis Pullen, Wily A. Pullen, Harvey Rigdon, Ephraim Rushing, James Rushing, Andrew J. Row, William T. Read, William Robinson, George Scogan, Toliver W., Pvt. Simpson, Jas. A., Pvt. Skinner, Joel J., Sergt. Company I, 16th La. Inf. Spencer, R. F., Spindle, James Sullivan, John Harrison, Private, En 1861-1865 Stewart, Henry Sanders, John K. Scoggin, Jacob S. Skinner, Joel J., Sergt. Company I, 16th La. Inf. Spencer, R. F., Pvt. Thomas, James Tarkinton, Leonidas Tierney, Michael Thomas, Henry Williams, George Wood, Thomas Williams, David F. Williams, Raleigh, Sr. Wimberly, Thomas H. Williams, Raleigh, Jr. Woods, Aris Zylks, Abraham Zylks, Thomas"