U.S. Colored Troops Sample

 

The U.S. Colored Troops Sample consists of 6,187 veterans who served in 52 United States Colored Troops (USCT) Infantry companies during the Civil War, for whom military, socio-economic, and medical information from several sources throughout their lifetimes has been collected.

 

The U.S. Colored Troops Sample is composed of the same three principal data sets as in the Union Army Sample:

 

The “Military, Pension, and Medical Records” data set

This data set is derived from military-related documents housed in the National Archives in Washington DC, including both war-time records (CMSR and CMR) and applications made by veterans for pension support (PEN).

 

The “Surgeon’s Certificates” data set

Associated with the Pension Record, are detailed physical examinations, completed by physicians that certify the veterans’ health and disability status.  Information from these examinations is collected into the Surgeon’s Certificates data set.

 

The “Census Records” data set

The Census Records data set contains all information on the veterans that is available in the U.S. Federal Censuses of 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930, though not all veterans could be linked successfully to the Census documents.  The 1850 and 1860 censuses were not collected for the U.S. Colored Troops Sample because most of the veterans in this sample were slaves and do not show up on the 1850 and 1860 censuses.

 

All individuals in the U.S. Colored Troops Sample can be linked across data sets by means of a unique identification number.