For a target sample size of 6,000 individuals, 52 United States Colored Troops (USCT) companies (list of companies) were chosen randomly from the “Regimental Books” stored at the National Archives in Washington DC.  All recruits in the selected companies were entered into the sample. 

To be compatible with the Union Army Sample, the U.S. Colored Troops Sample was restricted to volunteer infantry regiments.  Though, unlike the Union Army Sample, the white commissioned officers of the USCT companies were included in the sample.  (For the reasoning behind sampling by companies rather than individuals, see the Union Army Sample Design.)

The starting point for the creation of the U.S. Colored Troops Sample was the creation of a randomized list of all colored troops who served in the Civil War using A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick Dyer.  Companies were randomly selected from that list until the sample numbered 6,000 individuals.  If Regimental Books did not survive for a selected company, the next company on the randomized list was chosen.  Data from the Regimental Books was input into collection software, from which working files were created.