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.

For more information on the history of this unit see:


 * 1st Regiment Colored Infantry at The Civil War Archive.
 * 102nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment at Wikipedia.

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. If you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Companies and general counties of enlistment:
 * 1st Michigan Colored Infantry Rosters at Michigan in the Civil War, MIGenWeb.
 * Companies A, D, E, H, I - men from Wayne County
 * Companies B, F - men from Wayne, Cass and Kalamazoo Counties
 * Companies C, G - men from Wayne and Kalamazoo Counties
 * Company K - men from Wayne and Washtenaw Counties
 * Unassigned - men from Wayne and Kalamazoo Counties

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

National Archives

 * Congressional Medal of Honor File of 1st Lieutenant Charles L. Barrell, Company C, 102nd U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment. NAID 18538459.
 * Congressional Medal of Honor File of 1st Lieutenant Orson W. Bennett, Company A, 102nd U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment. NAID 18542734.

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.


 * 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. FS Library 973 B2ng.


 * 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).


 * See other Wiki articles: Michigan in the Civil War and South Carolina in the Civil War