1st Kansas Colored Infantry Flag

The 1st Kansas Colored Infantry was the first African American regiment from a northern state during the U.S. Civil War. Recruitment for the unit began August 1862 and they entered service January 1863. The men saw action at Island Mound, Missouri in addition to several other places before being reformed as the 79th United States Colored Regiment.

Like other U.S. states and regions across the globe, Kansans have served and died in war. The Kansas Museum of History aims to remember them through what they left behind. To see more from our collection please visit: https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/wars/14569