| 3rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Battle flag, 3rd U.S. Colored Infantry, c. 1863 | |
| Active | August 10, 1863 – October 31, 1865 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
The 3rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the Bureau of Colored Troops which was created by the United States War Department on May 22, 1863.
The regiment's battle flag was designed by African-American ornamental artist and portraitist David Bustill Bowser, and was "one of the first widely viewed, positive images of African Americans painted by an African American," according to historians at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.[1][2][3]
- ^ "David Bustill Bowser Historical Marker," in "Explore PA History." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, retrieved online February 23, 2019.
- ^ Sauers, Richard A. Advance The Colors: Pennsylvania Civil War Battle Flags, Vol. 1, pp. 40–57. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Capitol Preservation Committee, 1987 and 1991.
- ^ Smith, Eric Ledell, "Painted with Pride in the U.S.A.," in Pennsylvania Heritage, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 24–31. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation, 2001.