5th USCT                                                     
  5th United States Colored Troops Company G             American Civil War Reenacting Unit                        
The Fifth United States Colored Troop’s  Company G of Ohio is an African American re-enactment unit of the American Civil War (1863-1865 ). We are a gentle-persons orientated group encouraging those families who wish to participate, either as reenactors or historians.  Membership is open to any interested persons, of any race, desiring to assist in this endeavour We are dedicated to educating the public and preserving the memories of those African American who served the Union from the great State of Ohio.   Members of the unit participate in battle re-enactments, visit schools, museums and participate in public events as fully equipped and trained reenactors of the period. Our organizational network currently consist of numerous men and lady’s dedicated to preserving our national history. The United States War Department issued General Order Number 143 on May 22, 1863, establishing a "Bureau of Colored Troops" to facilitate the recruitment of African-American soldiers to fight for the Union Army. Regiments, including infantry, cavalry,engineers, light artillery, and heavy artillery units, were recruited from all states of the Union and became known as the United States Colored Troops (USCT). Approximately 175 regiments of over 178,000 free blacks and freed slaves served during the last two years of the war, and bolstered the Union war effort at a critical time. By war's end, the USCT were approximately a tenth of all Union troops. There were 2,751 USCT combat casualties during the war, and 68,178 losses from all causes. From the great State of Ohio some 5,092 blacks enlisted into the union army. The men of the USCT were the forerunners of the famous Buffalo Soldiers. A call to arms... Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters,U.S; let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship. Frederick Douglass  
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