United States, Missouri, Recruitment Lists of Volunteers for the United States Colored Troops - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Images and index to descriptive recruitment lists of free and enslaved African Americans in Missouri. Lists name, age, color of eyes and hair, height, place of birth, occupation, date and place of enlistment, name of slave owner and remarks.

 Related Collections
 * United States Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops, 1863-1865.
 * United States, Freedmen's Bureau Claim Records,1865-1872.
 * United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name of recruit
 * Name of slave owner
 * Age
 * Physical description


 * Where born
 * Occupation
 * Enlistment-when, where, by whom and how long

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date
 * Use the age and location of the military unit to find the soldier’s family in census, church, and land records
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify other relatives
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Missouri.
 * Missouri Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research
 * African American Genealogy
 * Researching African American Genealogy
 * Quick Guide to African American Records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.