Company E, 4th USCT
Over 180,000 black men fought for the Union army during the Civil War. Most of them served in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) which came into existence after the Emancipation Proclamation finally provided presidential endorsement for the much-discussed proposals for arming free blacks and former slaves in what had become the great conflict over slavery. This section provides information on how to learn about the evolution and experiences of the USCT in places such as Camp William Penn (pictured above), the great training ground in historic La Mott (Cheltenham, Pa) where more than 11,000 black soldiers mobilized for service.