Civil War Letters from Officers in the U.S. Colored Troops

Officers of the 4th US Colored Troops
Photo credit: Officers 4th U.S. Colored Infantry, Fort Slocum, April 1865, Library of Congress.
Click on the names below to read letters written by the White commissioned officers who led regiments of Black soldiers during the Civil War

Editorial methods for the transcribed letters


Col. Delavan Bates, 30th USCI

Capt. Charles P. Bowditch, 55th Mass & 5th Mass Cav

 Capt. Orlando P. Brockway, 5th USCI 

Lieut. Jacob Bruner, 9th LA Inf., AD (5th USCHA)

Lieut. Benjamin F. Burnham, 84th USCI

Sgt. Lewis P. Cleaveland, 55th USCI

Capt. George B. Cock, 5th USCI

James B. F. Curtis, 102 USCI, Hospital Stewart

Capt. George J. Drew, 18th USCI

Capt. Ellery C. Ford, 5th USCI

Lieut. Nicholas A. Gray, 27th USCI

Lieut. Charles W. Griffith, 5th USCI

Lieut. Levi G. Heck, 127th USCI

Capt. Frank Holsinger, 19th USCI

Lieut. Enoch F. Jackman, 6th USCI 

Lieut. Robert F. Johnston, 5th USCI 

Lieut. Adam (Addy) Turney Kreps, 67th and 92nd USCI

Lieut. George Mahaffey, 25th USCI

Capt. George J. Martin, 1st Reg Kansas Colored Vol Inf (79th USCI)

Capt. Daniel Mason, 19th USCI

Jeremiah M. Mickley, Chaplain 43rd USCI

Capt. Thomas Montgomery, 67th USCI

Capt. Abner D. Olds, 59th USCI

Capt. Cyrus O. Palmer, 12th USCHA

Lieut. Levi Patchin, 15th USCI

Seth Rogers, Surgeon, 33rd USCI

Capt. Henry Romyen, 14th USCI

Chaplain James W. Russell, 13th USCI

Lieut. Archibald J. Sampson, 27th USCI 

Lieut. Col. Cyrus Sears, 49th USCI

Capt. Henry Simmons, 55th USCI 

Thomas Smith, Chaplain 3rd Reg. Miss. Vols of A.D. (53rd USCI)

Lieut. David LeRoy Way, 5th USCI 

Lieut. Thomas J. Wiley, 5th USCHA 

Maj. Thurlow J. Wright, Surgeon, 7th LA Infantry A.D. (64 USCI)