Are there any resources to learn more about the Colored Regiments of the Civil War?

by Beef_Lizard

My dad died about a month ago. As the layout of cemetery would have it, My dad is buried almost adjacent from a civil war veteran, who, from what information I could gather, served in the 18th US Colored Infantry Regiment.

https://localwiki.org/cu/W.P._Winn

I don't, and well nobody really, know how the afterlife works. But, I like to think my dad and Mr. Winn would be having a nice conversation. My love of history really comes from my dad. We made a detour on a family trip and visited the Chickamauga battlefield. A guided tour wasn't necessary because my dad could point out where cannons were positioned, where about a critical moment of the battle occurred, almost by memory.

In college, I did an internship with the Illinois' National Guard history department. My first thought was to reach out to them, but this regiment in particular was incorporated into the main federal army. It is a shame because the Illinois Adjutant general reports were excellent resources. You could almost draw a line for each individual soldier from when they were mustered in, and to either when they died or were mustered out. From experience, main army records are a lot more difficult to obtain.

Not only would I love to learn more about my dad's "neighbor" but I feel like there are a lot of stories to be told about this part of the military that don't see a lot of light. Any ideas where to start?

Several books I would suggest you look for!

Freedom by the Sword: The U.S. Colored Troops, 1862-1867 by William A. Dobak: I mention this first because it is produced by the US military, so it is free online! You can find it at this link.
Black Troops, White Commanders and Freedmen During the Civil War by Howard Westwood: A collection of essays that explore a number of different aspects of the USCT in the conflict.
The Thin Light of Freedom: The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of America by Edward Ayers: Ayers is a fantastic historian, and this isn't a history of the USCT, so much as it is a history of the war with them a central part of it, so places them in a broader context.
Lincoln and the U.S. Colored Troops by John David Smith: Very short book so if you don't want to dive into something too heavy, might be one to look for.
Intensely Human: The Health of the Black Soldier in the American Civil War by Margaret Humphreys: Going to be a little more specialized than a general history, so not as starting point.
Honor in Command: Lt. Freeman S. Bowley's Civil War Service in the 30th United States Colored Infantry edited by Keith Wilson: Memoir of a white officer.