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.
Colored Infantry was organized at Camp Stanton in Gallatin, Tennessee beginning November 16, 1863 and mustered in for three-year service under the command of Colonel Thomas Jefferson Morgan.
[note 1] The unit was described in the report of the Pennsylvania association for the relief of East Tennessee in 1864: "At Chattanooga we saw a negro regiment, the 14th U. S. C. T., Col. T. J. Morgan, of Indiana, commanding.
The sight of that regiment on dress parade, with every head bare to heaven as the chaplain lifted up his voice and prayed that they might be strong and quit themselves like men in the day of battle, was one never to be forgotten.
The contrast between the slouching gait and slovenly appearance of the raw recruits, some of whom still had on their plantation clothes, and the soldierly bearing of the disciplined men, was very marked.
In late November, MGEN Thomas pulled the regiment from Chattanooga to Nashville as part of his gathering of his army in response to Hood's invasion of Tennessee.
[5] On Thursday, December 15, 1864, the 14th fought alongside many other regiments of black and white soldiers in storming and eventually taking the Confederate right flank.
Without orders they brought their arms to 'right shoulder shift,' took the step, and striking up their favorite tune of 'John Brown,' whistled it with admirable effect while passing the General, greatly to his amusement. "