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United States, Compiled Military Service Records Of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served With The U.S. Colored Troops - FamilySearch Historical Records

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United States

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United States, Compiled Military Service Records Of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served With The U.S. Colored Troops, 1861-1866
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.

United States
Flag of the United States of America
Flag of the United States of America
Flag of the United States at the outbreak of the civil war
Flag of the United States at the outbreak of the civil war
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Location of the United States of America
Location of the United States of America
Record Description
Record Type Military Service Records
Collection years 1861-1866
FamilySearch Resources
Content Resources
Related Websites
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration


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. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.


This collection contains a portion of the Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers who served with the United States Colored Troops, including:

  • 1st through 5th United States Colored Cavalry, 5th Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored), 6th United States Colored Cavalry M1818
  • 1st U.S. Colored Infantry, 1st South Carolina Volunteers (Colored) Company A, 1st U.S. Colored Infantry (1 Year) M1820
  • Infantry Organizations, 36th through 40th M1993

National Archives Microfilm Publications

National Archives Related Collections

Index and Image Visibility

FamilySearch provides images and indexes subject to contractual limitations and changes. Access to images and indexes may vary. Some collections may only have partial indexes without images. See Restrictions for Viewing Images for details.

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

Sample Images

  • Muster-out roll 1866

    Muster-out roll 1866

  • Discharge papers 1866

    Discharge papers 1866

Inventory

For a list showing the content of all the films and folders included in this Historical Records publication see United States, Compiled Military Service Records Of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served With The U.S. Colored Troops - Inventory.

How Do I Search This Collection?

To begin your search you need to know:

  • The name of your ancestor
  • The age and birth place of your ancestor
  • The military unit in which your ancestor served

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Enter the information in the fields in the Search Collection section or click More Options to see additional fields
  2. Click Search to show possible matches

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.

What Do I Do Next?

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

  • Add any new information to your records
  • 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 research your family in the United States.

Other FamilySearch Collections

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

Compiled Military Service Records - United States Colored troops

FamilySearch Historical Records

FamilySearch Digital Library

  • Joseph B. Ross, comp. Tabular analysis of the records of the U.S. colored troops and their predecessor units in the National Archives of the United States Washington, D.C. : NARA, 1973 FamilySearch Digital Library
  • William A. Dobak, Freedom by the Sword The United States Colored Troops, 1862-1867 Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History. United States Army, 2011 FamilySearch Digital Library
  • Kenneth W. Munden and Henry Putney Beers, Guide to Federal archives relating to the Civil War Washington, D.C. : The National Archives and Record Service, 1962 FamilySearch Digital Library

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.

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.
Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.
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