United States Colored Troops in the Civil War

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Introduction
The United States Army began to organize African Americans into regimental units known as the United States Colored Troops (USCT) in 1863. The enlistment of free blacks and slaves was considered a key to winning the war. Many USCT regiments originated as state militia units before 1863. The regiments included cavalry, artillery and infantry.

Approximately 186,000 African Americans served in the United States Colored Troops volunteer cavalry, artillery,and infantry units during the Civil War.

The service records of the United States Colored Troops are indexed on M589 roll 49 FHL film: 1276501(96 rolls FHL # 1266617) The service records have not yet been filmed, and are available from the National Archives.

For charts listing microfilmed military records available through the National Archive and Family History Library film numbers: click here.

In searching military or other records for an ancestor name that served with a United States Colored Troop (USCT) there may be abbreviations or marks within the record or following the name that may give clues about their military service.

Some of the abbreviations or marks may include.


 * A.D. = African Descent
 * C.d'A. Corps d'Afrique
 * col.,cold., col. = Colored
 * POC = Person of Color
 * USCA Lt + U. S. Colored Artillery(Light)
 * USCA Hvy = U.S. Colored Artillery (Heavy)
 * USCC = U.C. Colored Cavalry
 * USCHA = U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery
 * USCI = U.S. Colored Infantry
 * USCLtA = U.S. Colored Light Artillery
 * USCT = U.S. Colored Troops

United States Colored Troops Military Units
Most units were numbered, however, some were named. See the table below for lists of the regiments, battalions, batteries, and unassigned companies.

The information in the lists of United States Colored Troops comes from the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors web site. This web site can also be searched by the name of a soldier.

United States Colored Troops by Number or by Name Union Units 1st-39th 40th-84th 85th- 138th State Troops A to Z

United States Colored Troops by Type of Unit Union Units Infantry Cavalry Artillery Bands Unassign- ed Units Other

Regiments of United States Colored Troops

 * 29th Regiment, Connecticut Infantry (Colored) Organized at Fair Haven, Connecticut Mustered in March 8, 1864. Mustered out October 24, 1865, At New Orleans, Louisana Honorably discharged at New Haven,Connecticut, November 25, 1865.


 * Unassigned District of Columbia Colored "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.


 * Unassigned Illinois (Colored) "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.


 * Unassigned Indiana Colored Troops "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.


 * Unassigned Kentucky Colored "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit


 * 6th Regiment, Louisiana Infantry (Colored) Organized at New Orleans, Louisiana, for 60 days. July 4, 1863. Mustered out August 13, 1863.


 * 7th Regiment, Louisiana Infantry (Colored) Organized at New Orleans, Louisiana, for 60 days, July 10, 1863. Mustered out August 6, 1863.


 * 5th Regiment, Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored) Organized at Camp Meigs, Readville. 1st Battalion moved to Washington, D. C., May 5-8, 1864. Mustered out October 31, 1865.


 * 54th Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry (Colored) Organized at Readville and mustered in Marcy 30, - May 13, 1863. Mustered out at Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, August 20, 1865. Discharged at Boston, Massachusets, September 1, 1865.


 * 55th Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry (Colored) Organized May 31, 1863 at Readville mustered in June 22, 1863. Mustered out August 29, 1865. Discharged at Boston, Massachusetts, September 23, 1865.


 * Unassigned Ohio Colored Troops "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.


 * Southard's Company, United States Colored Infantry (Pennsylvania) "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.


 * 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Colored) Organized at Beaufort, South Carolina, January 31, 1863. Designation of Regiment changed to 33rd U.S. Colored Troops February 8, 1864, which see.


 * Independent Battery, United States Colored Light Artillery Organized at Leavenworth, Kansas, December 23, 1864. Mustered out July 22, 1865.


 * Brigade Band Number 1, United States Colored Troops "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit


 * 1st Regiment, United States Colored Heavy Artillery Organized at Knoxville, Tennessee, February 20, 1864. Mustered out March 31, 1866.


 * 2nd Regiment, United States Colored Light Artillery
 * Battery "A" Organized at Nashville, Tennessee., April 30, 1864. Mustered out January 13, 1866.


 * Battery "B" Organized at Fort Monroe, Virginnia., January 8, 1864, Mustered out March 17, 1866.


 * Battery "C" Organized from 1st Louisiana Battery, African Descent. Designated Battery "A" March 11, 1864, and Battery "C" April 26, 1864. Mustered out December 28, 1865.


 * Battery "D" Organized from 2nd Louisiana Battery, African Descent. Designated Battery "B" March 11, 1864, and Battery "D" April 26, 1864. Mustered out December 28, 1865.


 * Batteries E-I

Predecessor unit:


 * LOUISIANA VOLUNTEERS. 1st Battery Light Artillery (African Descent) Organized at Hebron's Plantation, Mississippi., November 6, 1863.


 * 2nd Regiment, United States Colored Cavalry Organized at Fort Monroe, Virginia., December 22, 1863. Mustered out February 12, 1866.


 * 2nd Regiment, United States Colored Infantry Organized at Arlington, Virginia., June 20 to November 11, 1863. Ordered to the Dept. of the Gulf December, 1863. Mustered out January 5, 1866.


 * Brigade Band Number 2, Corps d'Afrique "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.

These numbers are missing - I have not found them as offical yet


 * 129th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry
 * 130th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry
 * 131st Regiment, United States Colored Infantry
 * 132nd Regiment, United States Colored Infantry
 * 133rd Regiment, United States Colored Infantry
 * 134th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry

Additional References

 * Berlin, Ira. Freedom's Soldiers: The Black Military Experience in the Civil War, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
 * Cornish, Dudley Taylor. The Sable Arm: Negro Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865. New york: W.W. Norton, 1966.
 * Fleming, Ann Carter,and Ruth Ann Abels Hager. "Slaves, Soldiers, and Citizens: Special Civil War Recruitment Lists,: National Genealogical Society Quarterly vol. 91 (June 2003):139-143.
 * Gladstone, William A. United States Colored Troops, 1863-1867. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Thomas publications, 1990: [Appendix I lists which states furnished men to each U.S. Colored Troop Regiment.]
 * Hansen, Joyce. Between Two Fires: Black Soldiers in the Civil War. New York: F. Watts, 1993.
 * Hargrove, Hondon B. Black Union Soldiers in the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland 1988.
 * Hewett, Jamet B., editor. Roster of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865; United States Colored Troops M589-1-M589-49. Wilimington, North Carolina: Broadfoot publishing CO., 1997. FHL Book: 973 M29h
 * McPherson, James M. The Negro's Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union, New York: Vintage 2003.
 * Pendell, Lucille H. and Benthel, Elizaabeth. Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Adjutant General's Office: Records Group 94, No. 17, Washington, DC: Westminster, Maryland: Heritaage Books, 2007.
 * Quarles, Benjamin. The Negro in the Civil War, Cambridge, MA: Da Capo, 1989
 * Ross, Joseph B., Comp. Tabular Analysis of the Records of the U.S. Colored Troops and Their Predecessor Units in the National Archives of the United States.Special List No. 33. National Archives and records Service General Services Adminsitration Washington: 1973.
 * Secret, Jeanette Braxton. Guide to Tracing Your African American Civil War Ancestor. Bowie Maryland: Heritage Books, 1995. [This is a reference book that includes Special Lists 33. Tabular Analysis of the Records of the U.S. Colored Troops...a National Archives publication - no longer in print].
 * Shaffer, Donald R. After the Glory: The Struggles of Black Civil War Veterans, Larwrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 2004.
 * Schaffer, Donald R. 'I Do Not Suppose that Uncle Sam Looks at the Skin': African Americans and the Civil War Pension System, 1865-1934.Civil War History 46 (June 2000): 132-142
 * Smith, John David, editor. Black Soldiers in Blue: African American Troops in the Civil War Era. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press, 2002.
 * Trudeau, Noah Andre. Like Men of War: Black Troops in the Civil War, 1862-1865, Boston, Massacchusetts: Little Brown &amp; Co, 1998.