United States, Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops, 1863-1865
Union service records of soldiers who served in the United States Colored Troops.The records include a jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, his rank, and the unit in which he served. The jacket-envelope typically contains card abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found in original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers,prison registers and rolls, parole rolls, inspection reports; and the originals of any papers relating solely to the particular soldier. For each military unit the service records are arranged alphabetically by the soldier's surname. The Military Unit field may also display the surname range (A-G) as found on the microfilm. This collection is a part of RG 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780's-1917 and include NARA microfilm publications pertaining to the compiled service records of the United States Colored Troops. Index courtesy of Fold3.
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United States, Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops
What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of compiled military service records of volunteers who served in the United States Colored Troops. The records include abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found in original records such as muster rolls, payrolls, hospital and prison records. A file may also include original documents. Many volunteers were former slaves who enlisted after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This collection is a part of Record Group 94,Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917. Colored Troops Division, Administrative History Note
For each military unit, the service records are arranged alphabetically by the soldier's surname. The Military Unit field may also display the surname range (A-G) as found on the microfilm. The information in this index is quite reliable. However, keep in mind that even though this index is very accurate it still may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings or misinterpretations. Index courtesy of www.fold3.com (Previously called Footnote.com).
- 1st through 5th United States Colored Cavalry; 5th Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored); 6th United States Colored Cavalry, M1817, 107 rolls
- Artillery Organizations, M1818, 299 rolls
- 1st U.S. Colored Infantry, 1st South Carolina Volunteers (Colored) Company A, 1st U.S. Colored Infantry, M1819, 19 rolls
- 2nd through 7th Colored Infantry including 3d Tennessee Volunteers (African Descent), 6th Louisiana Infantry ( African Descent), and 7th Louisiana Infantry (African Descent), M1820, 116 rolls
- Infantry Organizations, 8th through 13th including the 11(new). M1821, 109 rolls
- Infantry Organizations, 14th through 19th, M1822, 105 rolls
- Infantry Organizations, 20th through 25th, M1823, 98 rolls
- Infantry Organizations, 26th through 30th, Including the 29th Connecticut (Colored), M1824, 108 rolls
- Infantry Organizations, 31st through 35th, M1992, 86 rolls
- Infantry Organizations, 36th through 40th, M1993, 116 rolls
- Infantry Organizations, 36th through 40th, M1993 Microfilm pamphlet
- Infantry Organizations, 41st through 46th, M1994, 113 rolls
- Infantry Organizations, 47th through 55th, M2000, 183 rolls
- 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (Colored), M1898, 20 rolls
- 55th Massachusetts Infantry (Colored), M1801, 16 rolls
- Additions to this index will be included as they become available.
Related Articles
- Budge Weidman. Black Soldiers in the Civil War. Preserving the Legacy of the United States Colored Troops."
- Black Soldiers in the Civil War. Compiled Service Records
- Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military During the Civil War
Related National Archives Collections
Disbursing Branch, 1863-1868. Provost Marshal General's Branch(Civil War). RG 110 -Images of Muster Rolls
- 1st Regiment, United States Colored Cavalry, NAID 12388470
- 4th/5th Regiment, United States Colored Heavy Artillery and Attached Letter, NAID 12388513
- 8th Regiment, United States Colored Troops, NAID 12388553
- 23rd Regiment, United States Colored Troops, NAID 12388603
- 49th Regiment, United States Colored Troops, NAID 12388657
Colored Troops Division,1863-1888. Adjutant General's Office RG 94
- Register of Colored Troops, 1869. NAID 602251
- Record of Colored Enlistments, 12.1869-6.1887. NAID 602253
- Record of Regiments, 1863-1865. NAID 602258
- Register of Colored Troops Enlisted for Service and Bounty Paid, 8.1864-2.1865. NAID 602306
- Register of Discharge Certificates of Enlisted Men, 1866-1867. NAID 6267254
- Register of Claims for the U.S. Colored Troops, 1864-1867. NAID 608297
- Register of Colored Men Enlisted in U.S. Service by the Commissioner of the Organization of Colored Troops in the States of Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, 1863 - 1864. NAID 6267253
- Descriptive Lists of Colored Volunteers, 1864. NAID 1223643 State of Missouri.
- Register of U.S. Colored Troop Deaths During the Civil War, 1861 - 1865
Adjutant General's Office. RG 94
- List of the Names of the Enlisted Men of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment Missing After the Assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. NAID 300389
- Register of U.S. Colored Troop Deaths During the Civil War, 1861-1865. NAID 1226169
- Carded Medical Records for Individuals Serving in the 103rd U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment, with Surnames Beginning with Wi to Will
Bounty and Claims Division,1884-1889. Adjutant General's Office. RG 94
- Registers of Claims for the U.S. Colored Troops, 1864-1867. NAID 608297
- Records of Slave Claims Commissions, 1867. NAID 608296 Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia.
- Maryland Slave Claims Commission Correspondence, 1864–1865 NAID 6267233
Provost Marshal General's Bureau. RG 110
Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, RG 217
- Registers of Payments to U.S. Colored Troops, 11.1867-11.1885. NAID 2584173
- Disallowed Claims of U.S. Colored Troops, ca. 1864 - 1893 NAID 2133015
- Registers of Payments to Colored Troops, 1863 - 1889 NAID 2580987
- Register of Payments to Colored Troops, 1863 - 1863 NAID 12088566
- Abstracts of Payments to Colored Troops, ca. July 1867–April 1874 NAID 2555299
- Register of Claims of U.S. Colored Troops, August 1879–November 1899 NAID 2585215
Records of the United States District Courts, RG 21
Records of US Army Continental Commands RG 393
Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General RG 92
Freedmen's Bureau Related Collection
- After the war, many veterans received assistance from the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, in applying for and receiving pensions. Pension claims may be found among the Bureau’s records. United States, Freedmen's Bureau Claim Records,1865-1872
Additional Sources
- USCT Pension Files: Center for Family History. International African American Museum
- Ancestry ($) Searchable Civil War service records
- Transcribing United States Colored Troop Documents Project
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Jacket name
- Soldier’s full name
- Year
- Age (often estimated)
- Military unit served in
- Type of records in file
- NARA publication number, title, and roll number
Collection Content
The records are in individual files and usually include the following:
- A jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, rank, and the unit in which he served
- A card (or cards) with abstracts of entries from original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, parole rolls, and inspection reports
- The originals of any papers relating only to the particular soldier
Inventory
For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see United States, Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops - Inventory
Collection Details
Location of Original Records
National Archives and Records Administration
"United States, Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops, 1863-1865." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 20 February 2025. From "Civil War Soldiers - Union - Colored Troops." Database. Fold3.com. http://www.fold3.com : n.d. Citing Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780-1917, RG 94. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
