79th United States Colored Infantry Regiment explained

The 79th United States Colored Infantry was an all-black infantry regiment which fought for the Union Army during the Civil War. "... in August, 1862, recruiting for a colored regiment was commenced in Kansas, and over 600 men were soon mustered in. The regiment, however, was not mustered into the United States service until January 13, 1863. It was then designated the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment, but its name was changed, in December, 1864, to the 79th United States Colored Infantry."^[1]

They fought at the Battle of Fort Smith.

Casualties

The regiment suffered 354 fatalities during its service; 5 officers and 183 enlisted men were killed in action or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 165 enlisted men died from disease or accident.^[2]

See also

• List of United States Colored Troops Civil War units

Notes and References

1. Book: Fox, William Freeman. Regimental losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865 : a treatise on the extent and nature of the mortuary losses in the Union regiments, with full and exhaustive statistics compiled from the official records on file in the state military bureaus and at Washington. 1889. Albany, N.Y. : Albany Publishing Co.. Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection. 53. VI. THE COLORED TROOPS — HISTORY OF THEIR ORGANIZATION — THEIR LOSSES IN BATTLE AND BY DISEASE..
2. Fox, William F., Lt.-Col., 'Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865', Albany, N.Y., 1889, p. 522.