U.S. War Department General Order 143 Establishing the Bureau of U.S. Colored Troops

Audience

General Order 143 is a military directive whose immediate audience was the Union army. It was especially aimed at those responsible for the administration and recruitment of African American troops. Those recruiting Black enlistments outside the auspices of the army were another potential audience of the order. Ultimately, General Order 143 was aimed at the nation, as it laid the foundation for organizing and administering the participation of African American soldiers in the Union war effort. Beyond establishing procedures and an administrative structure, the order indicated clearly that African Americans would have a stake in American society.