
[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 commissioned officers who led regiments of Black soldiers during the Civil War
Editorial methods for the transcribed letters
Capt. Orlando P. Brockway, 5th USCI
Capt. Charles P. Bowditch, 55th Mass & 5th Mass Cav
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
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. Adam (Addy) Turney Kreps, 67th and 92nd USCI
Lieut. Robert F. Johnston, 5th 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
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