The 102nd United States Colored Troops (102nd U.S.C.T.) first got
its start as the 1st Michigan Colored Infantry. The Governor of
Michigan, Austin Blair, received an order from the Secretary of
War, Edwin M. Stanton, to raise a colored regiment on July 24,
1863. Part of the order went like this, "You are hereby instructed to
raise one Regiment of colored Infantry in the State of Michigan. To
these troops no bounty will be paid. They will receive ten dollars per
month, with one ration per day, three dollars of which monthly pay will
be deducted for clothing, these troops will be commanded by white
officers"1.
The regiment officially mustered into federal service in Michigan on
February 17, 1864 after being organized in Detroit from August 1863 to
February 1864. The regiment left Michigan on March 28, 1864 under the
command of Colonel Bennett and headed to Annapolis, Maryland where
they joined up with the 9th Army Corp. They remained in Annapolis
until April 15th when they were detached from the 9th Army Corp. and
headed to Hilton Head, South Carolina. On May 23, 1864, the 1st
Michigan Colored Infantry officially changed its designation to the
102nd United States Colored Troops. After arriving in Hilton Head, the
regiment was divided and assigned to picket duty on St. Helena,
Jenkins and Hilton Head Islands. Picket duty lasted for about a
month before they were assigned to occupy Fort Royal and construct
fortifications there. They were stationed at the fort until June 15th,
when they were transferred to Beaufort on Port Royal Island where they
were employed as camp guard and provost duty.
The regiment saw its first fight against the Confederates after they
left Port Royal Island in August. After leaving the island they were
sent to Jacksonville, Florida and then Baldwin, Florida, which is where
a Confederate cavalry force attacked them on August 11th. They
easily fought off the attackers and thus convinced their officers that
they were a worthy fighting regiment. After being attacked, the 102nd
continued marching through Florida to Magnolia, FL where they built
more fortifications. The regiment was eventually transferred back to
Beaufort, South Carolina on August 31, 1864 and remained there until
January 1865 doing outpost and picket duty on Port Royal, Lady and
Coosa Islands.
While stationed at Beaufort, various detachments left and saw some
action. In November 1864, a detachment of 300 men joined a Union
action to destroy the Charleston and Savannah Railroad around
Pocataligo, South Carolina. On November 30th a detachment joined
General Foster’s column at Boyd’s Landing and engaged with the
Confederates at Honey Hill, South Carolina and then again at
Tillifinny on December 7th and Devaux Neck on December 9th.
In late January, the entire 102nd U.S.C.T. left Beaufort and headed
to Pocataligo, South Carolina where they stayed until the beginning
of February. While there, the regiment often separated into
detachments, and as the Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in
the Civil War states, they "made several expeditions in the enemy's
country, driving off his cavalry and destroying railroads and building
breastworks." Throughout the month of February, the regiment
continually advanced on Charleston, S.C. The only resistance they met
was at Cuckwold’s Creek where they encountered Confederate
skirmishers.
The regiment once again split into two detachments in April after
having arrived in Charleston, S.C at the beginning of the month. One
detachment was commanded by Colonel Henry L. Chipman and the other by
Major Newman Clark. Chipman’s detachment marched from Charleston to
Nelson’s Ferry. Along the way they encountered and successfully
drove off Confederate cavalry. Clark’s detachment joined the 54th
Massachusetts and with them fought in several skirmishes.
The last and largest battle that the 102nd took part in was at
Boykin’s, South Carolina where a force of 200 Confederates attacked the
reunited 102nd regiment. The 102nd inflicted heavy casualties on the
Confederates and did not encounter any more Confederates until
Confederates approached them under a flag of truce announcing the
surrender of Generals Lee and Johnston. The regiment spent the next
five months in Charleston on occupation duty until they were mustered
out on September 30, 1865. They then traveled to Detroit to be paid
and disbanded.
Between 1864 and 1865, the 102nd U.S.C.T. saw a total enrollment of
1,446 men. The 102nd lost 140 men to the war – six were killed in
action, five died of wounds and 129 died of disease. The total
casualty rate for the regiment was 9.6%. Not much is known about the
men in the regiment other than that they were from Michigan and were
African American, but there are a couple of photographs of soldiers
that have survived.
During the war, the 102nd U.S.C.T. were
fortunate enough to not become engaged in too many battles. Even
though they didn’t see much fighting doesn’t mean they were not
actively involved in the war. They were very successful in building
fortifications and providing guard duty at many locations. They also
often helped destroy supply lines and railroads that were used by the
Confederates. The building and destroying that the 102nd accomplished
may not sound like much, but without it the Union would not have been
as successful as it was in destroying the Confederates.
1“African Americans – Buffalo Soldiers – 1st Regiment
Michigan Infantry – Colored Troops”. AfricanAmericans.com.
http://www.africanamericans.com/1stRegimentColoredTroops.htm.
Archives
of Michigan. “MHAL – Samuel Lett”. Michigan Historical Center,
Department of History, Arts and Libraries.
http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19271_19357-161086--,00.html.
The
Civil War Archive. “Union – U.S. Colored Troops Infantry (Part 3)”.
http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/uncolinf3.htm#102.