Adjt. Gen'l. U.S. Army.

[16] Col. Thomas Wentworth Higginson in an appendix to his "Army Life in
a Black Regiment," gives some account of the organization of negro
troops, from which is condensed the following:

"It is well known that the first systematic attempt to organize colored
troops during the war of the rebellion was the so-called "Hunter
Regiment." The officer originally detailed to recruit for this purpose
was Sergeant C. T. Trowbridge, of the New York Volunteer Engineers (Col.
Serrell.) His detail was dated May 7, 1862, S. O. 84, Dept. South.

"The second regiment in order of muster was the First Kansas Colored,
dating from January 13, 1863. The first enlistment in the Kansas
regiment goes back to August 6, 1862; while the earliest technical date
of enlistment in my regiment was October 19, 1862, although, as was
stated above, one company really dated its organization back to May,
1862. My muster as Colonel dates back to November 10, 1862, several
months earlier than any other of which I am aware, among colored
regiments, except that of Col. Stafford, (First Louisiana Native
Guards,) Sept. 27, 1862. Colonel Williams, of the First Kansas Colored,
was mustered as Lt. Colonel on Jan. 13, 1863; as Col., March 8, 1863.
These dates I have (with the other facts relating to the regiment) from
Col. R. J. Hinton, the first officer detailed to recruit it.

"The first detachment of the Second South Carolina Volunteers (Col.
Montgomery) went into camp at Port Royal Island, February 23, 1863,
numbering one hundred and twenty men. I do not know the date of his
muster; it was somewhat delayed, but was probably dated back to about
that time.

"Recruiting for the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts (colored) began on
February 9, 1863, and the first squad went into camp at Readville,
Massachusetts, on February 21, 1863, numbering twenty-five men. Col.
Shaw's commission--and probably his muster--was dated April 17, 1863.
(Report of Adjutant General of Massachusetts for 1863, pp. 896-899.)
These were the earliest colored regiments, so far as I know."

[17]

GENERAL ORDERS} WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,
No. 143. } _Washington_, May 22, 1863.

I.--A Bureau is established in the Adjutant General's Office for the
record of all matters relating to the organization of Colored Troops. An
officer will be assigned to the charge of the Bureau, with such number
of clerks as may be