The 22nd United States Colored Infantry was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The regiment was composed of

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the

Bureau of Colored Troops The Bureau of Colored Troops was created by the United States War Department on May 22, 1863, under General Order No. 143, during the Civil War, to handle "all matters relating to the organization of colored troops." Major Charles W. Foster was ...

, which was created by the

United States War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

on May 22, 1863.

Service

The 22nd U.S. Colored Infantry was organized at

Camp William Penn Camp William Penn was a Union Army training camp located in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania from 1863 to 1865, notable for being the first training ground dedicated to African American troops who enlisted in the United Army during the Americ ...

near

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

beginning January 10, 1864 for three-year service and mustered under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Joseph Barr Kiddoo. Over 600 men in the regiment were from

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. The regiment was attached to U.S. Forces, Yorktown, Virginia,

Department of Virginia and North Carolina The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departmen ...

, to April 1864. 1st Brigade, Hincks' Division (Colored), XVIII Corps,

Army of the James The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia. History The Union Department ...

, to June 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XVIII Corps, June 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XVIII Corps, to August 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XVIII Corps, August 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division,

X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...

, to September 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XVIII Corps, to December 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XXV Corps, December 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XXV Corps, and

Department of Texas The Department of Texas was a military department of the United States Army that existed from 1850 to 1861, and again from 1865 to 1866, from 1870 to 1913 and during the First World War. It was subordinate to the Military Division of the Missouri. ...

, to October 1865. The 22nd U.S. Colored Infantry mustered out of service on October 16, 1865.

Detailed service

The infantry was ordered to Yorktown, VA in January 1864 for duty nearby until May 1864. The order initially had 681 men. The expedition continued as follows: an expedition to King and Queen County March 9-12; Butler's operations south of the James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-June 15; duty at Wilson's Wharf, James River protecting supply transports, then constructing works near Fort Powhatan until June; the attack on Fort Powhatan May 21; before Petersburg June 15-18; siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865; Deep Bottom August 24; Dutch Gap August 24; demonstration north of the James River September 28-30; Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 29-30; Fort Harrison September 29; Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28; Chaffin's Farm November 4; in the trenches before Richmond until April 1865; occupation of Richmond April 3; moved to Washington, D.C., and participated in the obsequies of President Lincoln, and afterward to the eastern shore of Maryland and along lower Potomac in pursuit of the assassins. They then rejoined the corps May 1865 and moved to Texas May 24-June 6 for duty along the Rio Grande River until October 1865.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 217 men during service; 2 officers and 70 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 144 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Joseph Barr Kiddoo

References

* Bilby, Joseph G. ''"Freedom to All": New Jersey's African-American Civil War Soldiers'' (Hightstown, NJ: Longstreet House), 2011. * Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (Pennsylvania Commandery). ''In Memoriam: George Harvey Christy First Lieut. and Adjt. 22d U.S. Colored Infantry, Died at Pittsburgh Pa. September 27 1909'' (Philadelphia: MOLLUS), 1910. * -----. ''In Memoriam: James Ernest Schwartz, Second Lieutenant 22d U.S. Colored Troops, Died at Dresden Germany, May 16, 1900'' (Philadelphia: MOLLUS), 1900. ;Attribution *

External links