31st Regiment, United States Colored Infantry

Brief History
THe 31st Regiment, United States Colored Infantry was organized at Hart's Island, New York, April 29, - November 14, 1864. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac, to September, 1864. It mustered out November 7, 1865. The 30th Connecticut Colored Volunteers, while in process of organization, were merged into this regiment May 18, 1864.

For additional information, see 31st Infantry, US Colored Troops, by the New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origins
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A Company B Company C Company D Company E Company F Company G Company H Company I Company K

National Archives Catalog

 * Regimental and Company Books of the 31st U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Union Volunteers in the Civil War' and 'United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865' (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Union Volunteers in the Civil War describes many Union sources, specifically for the Union Volunteers, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * New York in the Civil War describes many Union sources, specifically for New York, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * 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 Administration Washington: 1973.


 * Union League Club (New York, New York). Report of the Committee on Volunteering : presented October 13, 1864. (Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, c1994)


 * [William Seraile]; edited by Graham Russell Hodges. New York's Black Regiments During the Civil War. (S.l. : s.n., 19--?). . The book gives the histories of the three U.S. Colored Troops credited to New York, i.e. the 20th, 26th, and 31st. It has a good bibliography and a roster of the officers.


 * New York State's Civil War 'U.S. Colored Troops' Organized, Trained on Rikers and Hart Islands. (Accessed 17 July 2012).