Colored Troop Regiments from Kentucky, U.S. Civil War
After the signing of the Second Confiscation and Militia Act and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, African American men were allowed to enlist in the Union Army. The United States Colored Troops were all African American units commanded by whites.
In Kentucky, there were 23 volunteer regiments formed between 1863 and 1865, with a total of 23,706 soldiers. Kentucky provided 13% of the African American soldiers who enlisted in the Union Army, second only to the state of Louisiana.
Below are the regiment names, locations, and dates. For more information see "Colored Regiments from Kentucky," The National Tribune (Washington, D.C.), 9/29/1904, p. 6; A History of Blacks in Kentucky, by M. B. Lucas; Campaigns of the Civil War, Supplementary Volume: Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States, v. 13, by F. Phisterer; and the HistoryNet website African Americans in the Civil War.
H. A. = heavy artillery
| REGIMENT | ORGANIZED LOCATION | DATE | NOTES |
| 4th U.S. Colored H. A. | Columbus, KY (Hickman County) | June 16, 1863 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry | Camp Nelson, KY (Jessamine County) | October 1864 | The 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry / Kentucky Life / KET: Simpsonville Massacre |
| 6th U.S. Colored Cavalry | Camp Nelson, KY (Jessamine County) | November 1, 1864-June 21, 1865 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 8th U.S. Colored H. A. | Paducah, KY (McCracken County) | Summer 1864 | More Information at Explore Kentucky History and FamilySearch |
| 12th U.S. Colored H. A. | Camp Nelson, KY (Jessamine County) | July 15, 1864-July 15, 1865 | History of the 12th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery |
| 13th U.S. Colored H. A. | Camp Nelson, KY (Jessamine County) | June 1865 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 72nd U.S. Colored Infantry | Covington, KY (Kenton County) | April 1865 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 100th U.S. Colored Infantry | Kentucky-at-large | May 1864 & June 1864 | U.S. Colored Troops, 100th Regiment, National Park Service website |
| 107th U.S. Colored Infantry | Louisville, KY (Jefferson County) | Summer 1864 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 108th U.S. Colored Infantry | Louisville, KY (Jefferson County) | June 20, 1864-August 22, 1864 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 109th U.S. Colored Infantry | Louisville, KY (Jefferson County) | July 5, 1864 | U.S Colored Troops, 109th Regiment, National Park Service website |
| 114th U.S. Colored Infantry | Camp Nelson, KY (Jessamine County) | July 4, 1864 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 115th U.S. Colored Infantry | Bowling Green, KY (Warren County) | July 15, 1864 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 116th U.S. Colored Infantry | Bowling Green, KY (Warren County) | June 6, 1864-July 12, 1864 | The Civil War in the East |
| 117th U.S. Colored Infantry | Covington, KY (Kenton County) | July 18, 1864-September 27, 1864 | U.S. Colored Troops, 117th Regiment, National Park Service website |
| 118th U.S. Colored Infantry | Baltimore, KY (Graves County) | October 19, 1864 | More information at FamilySearch |
| 119th U.S. Colored Infantry | Camp Nelson, KY (Jessamine County) | Spring 1865 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 120th U.S. Colored Infantry | Henderson, KY (Henderson County) | November 1864-June 1865 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 121st U.S. Colored Infantry | Maysville, KY (Mason County) | October 8, 1864 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 122nd U.S. Colored Infantry | Louisville, KY (Jefferson County) | December 1, 1864 | U.S. Colored Troops, 122nd Regiment, National Park Service website |
| 123rd U.S. Colored Infantry | Louisville, KY (Jefferson County) | December 2, 1864 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 124th U.S. Colored Infantry | Camp Nelson, KY (Jessamine County) | Spring 1865 | More Information at FamilySearch |
| 125th U.S. Colored Troops | Louisville, KY (Jefferson County) | Spring 1865 | More Information at FamilySearch |