Hello, my name is Park Ranger Garrett Kost. I am with the National Mall and Memorial Parks,
and welcome to Civil War 160th and 60!
Today, I am in Washington D.C., standing at the site of the African-American Civil War Memorial.
On this day, May 22nd, 1863, the War Department issues General Orders Number 143, which authorizes
African-American men to enlist in the armed forces and creates the Bureau of Colored Troops.
African-American scholars and abolitionists alike pushed for these orders, not only as a military
necessity but also as an act of emancipation, showing that selfless acts of military service
can prove equality. These general orders created over 175 different regiments of infantry, cavalry,
artillery, with countless others serving in the Navy. Out of 200,000 African-American men
that served, 23,703 came from the slave-holding territory of Kentucky, within the United States.
Out of those 23,000, ten thousand of which came from Camp Nelson itself, the third largest USCT
Recruiting Station during the war and the only remaining site. There were eight different
regiments from Camp Nelson that fought during the War, some went on to campaigns against Richmond,
others into cavalry raids into Southwestern Virginia, while others stayed at Camp Nelson
and performed garrison duty. This Memorial commemorates their service. On the front,
we can see African-American soldiers and sailors, steely and dauntless as ever. On the back side,
there are family members that saw their loved ones march off to war, many of whom would not return.
The most important part of this Memorial, however, is the metal name wall showing, surrounding the
memorial itself, with the names of over 200,000 African-American soldiers listed on it. USCT
troops were integral to the United States' war effort during the American Civil War, providing
muscle, motivation, and pride, being the driving force behind emancipation and civil rights.