Source Information

Ancestry.com. U.S., Descriptive Lists of Colored Volunteer Army Soldiers, 1864 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors.
Original data:

War Department. The Adjutant General’s Office. Colored Troops Division (05/22/1863–1888). Descriptive Lists of Colored Volunteer Army Soldiers 1864. Volumes 58–60. NAID: 1223643. Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1762–1984/1780–1917. Record Group 94. The National Archives in Washington, D.C.

About U.S., Descriptive Lists of Colored Volunteer Army Soldiers, 1864

On 14 November 1863, General John Schofield, commander of the Department of Missouri, issued General Order 135 authorizing provost marshals in the department to recruit and enlist black soldiers to serve the Union as U.S. Colored Troops. This database contains enlistment and muster rolls for colored troops who enlisted in Kentucky. The records typically list

  • name,
  • birthplace,
  • age at enlistment (if available),
  • owner’s name (if soldier is a former slave),
  • enlistment date and county,
  • date of muster.

They may also provide a physical description, occupation, and name of the recruiter.