 Cailloux gradually earned the respect of Colonel Spencer Stafford, the white officer who commanded the regiment.When General Nathaniel P. Banks replaced Butler as Commander of the Department of the Gulf in December 1862, he brought with him an additional 30,000 troops, bringing the total troop strength under his command to 42,000.By this time, the all-black Native Guard had grown to three regiments, a mixture of free-men and former slaves.