These men were mustered to the credit of the state and joined the Forty-fifth Regiment USCT. According to state historian Virgil Lewis, 212 black men enlisted in West Virginia. The Forty-fifth USCT was unique in that it was the only regiment in the war composed of black soldiers accredited to the new state of West Virginia. Colored Troops played a part in one of the early fights for civil rights in the United States and made history in the process. The regiment fought in the battle of Darbytown Road, marched in President Lincoln’s inaugural parade, and chased General Lee to Appomattox Court House. Soldiers of the Forty-fifth hailed from Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
1 The Forty-fifth Regiment United States Colored Troops (USCT) served the Union army as a black Appalachian unit in the last year of the Civil War.
African Americans from Appalachia were no exception in answering the call to arms. Ultimately the United States Colored Troops helped facilitate the Union victory. Through their valor and deeds they changed long held prejudices. Fueled by a desire for equality, over 200,000 African American soldiers joined the Union Army and Navy. More so than any other group, African Americans had the most to gain and the most to lose from the outcome of the war. During the American Civil War, African Americans actively fought for freedom and citizenship.
The fight for civil rights began long before the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s. African American West Virginians in the Civil War: The 45th USCT
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