1st Regiment,Michigan Volunteer Infantry (Colored)

Brief History
The 1st Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry (Colored) was organized at Detroit, Michigan, August, 1863, to February, 1864. It was mustered in February 17, 1864. It was mustered out September 30, 1865 at Charleston, South Carolina.

On 23 May 1864 this regiment was re-designated the 102nd Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. A brief history of this regiment appear in wikipedia, "102nd Regiment United States Colored Troops"

For a history of this regiment see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 1st Regiment Colored Infantry, (accessed 13 July 2012).
 * The Wikipedia article, 102nd Regiment United States Colored Troops, (accessed 13 July 2012).
 * Ruth Randall.  Washington and Lewis Giboney, Company G, 102nd Regiment, United States Colored Troops: Runaway Slaves or free Men of Color ? National Genealogical Society Quarterly 99 (September 2011): 227-233. FHL 973 B2ng

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - Many men from Wayne County - see Roster

Company B - Many men from Wayne County, Cass County, and Kalamazoo County - see Roster

Company C - Many men from Wayne County and Kalamazoo County - see Roster

Company D - Many men from Wayne County - see Roster

Company E - Many men from Wayne County - see Roster

Company F - Many men from Wayne County, Cass County, and Kalamazoo County - see Roster

Company G - Many men from Wayne County and Kalamazoo County - see Roster

Company H - Many men from Wayne County - see Roster

Company I - Many men from Wayne County - see Roster

Company K - Many men from Wayne County and Washtenaw County - see [[http://www.migenweb.org/michiganinthewar/infantry/1colork.htm Roster

Unassigned Company - Many men from Wayne County and Kalamazoo County - see Roster

See Rosters, as there were men from many different Counties in these Companies.

National Archives

 * Approved Pension Company G, Corporal Emanuel Lett. NAID 138661104

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Michigan in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Michigan in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Michigan, and how to find them. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Union Volunteers in the Civil War describes many Union sources, specifically for the Union Volunteers, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Hine, Darlene Clark, and Earnestine Jenkins. "A Question of Manhood: A Reader in U.S. Black Men's History and Masculinity"  (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999). Googlebooks. Other Libraries


 * Sleight, William E., David D. Anderson, and Jno Robertson. "Lieutenant William E. Sleight and the 102nd Regiment, U.S. Colored Infantry, in the Civil War"  (East Lansing, Mich: Midwestern Press, the Center for the Study of Midwestern Literature and Culture, 2003). Other libraries


 * Brief Overview of the Service of the 102nd USCT, a time line, by Radford Education


 * FamilySearch WIki: Michigan in the Civil War and South Carolina in the Civil War