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In compliance with President Lincoln's requisition upon the State of Michigan for military aid to uphold the constitution and maintain the Union of the States, Governor Austin Blair issued a proclamation, dated April 16, 1861, for one Regiment of Infantry to be mustered into the service of the United States.
At this date there were a number of independent military companies in the state possessing military knowledge from long practice and study. Ten of these companies were accepted to form the First Michigan Regiment. Those companies accepted were designated at their home camps as the "Detroit Light Guard", the "Jackson Grays", the "Coldwater Cadets", the "Manchester Union Guards", the "Stuben Guard", the "Michigan Hussars", the "Burr Oak Guard", the "Ypsilanti Light Guard", the "Marshall Light Guard", and the "Hardee Cadets". Orlando P. Wilcox was appointed Colonel of the Regiment and the companies were ordered to report to him at Detroit with the least possible delay.
The organization of the Regiment was completed on April 29th., being mustered into the Federal service on May 1, 1861 with a total enrollment of 798 men. The President had called for these troops to serve in Federal service for three months and they promptly complied.
The equipping was thorough and complete and was pursued with such vigor that the Regiment was supplied with uniforms, armed and ready for service before it left the State on May 13, 1861 and was the first Regiment from a western state to reach Washington D.C., where it arrived on May the 16th. The Regiment after arrival was promptly ordered to cross the "Long Bridge" over the Potomac and take possession of Alexandria, Virginia which it accomplished with little incident on May 24th. It's first serious battle of the war was at Manassas, Virginia (Bull Run) where the 1st. proved it's mettel as a fighting Regiment while hotly contested with Confederate forces in that desperate battle. The First lost heavily in killed, wounded, captured and missing in the bloody preview of things to come.
The Regiment returned to Michigan at the expiration of its three months term of enlistment and was mustered out of Federal service on Aug.7,1861. Then the Regiment was immediately reorganized into a three year term of enlistment at Ann Arbor and immediately, with 960 officers and men set out for Virginia on Sept.7,1861.
The Regiment took part in the Peninsular Campaign of 1862 under the command of General McClellan serving in the 5th. Corp, 1st. Brigade, 1st. Division. It fought gallantly at Mechanicsville, Gaine's Mill, Peach Orchard, Savage Station, Turkey Bend, White Oak Swamp and Malvern Hill. After the Peninsular Campaign it was assigned to Fitz John Porter's Corp when it was desperately engaged at Second Manassas (2nd. Bull Run) on Aug.19, 1862. It and the other Regiments of the Brigade sustained fearful losses from the murderous fire of the Confederates masked batteries.
The Regiment then took part in the battles of Antietam, Md. Fredricksburg, Va. and Chancellorsville, Va. before reaching Gettysburg, Pa. on July 2, 1863, in time to bear an active role in one of the hardest fought and most historic battles of the war, Colonel Troop's action report describes the part taken by the 1st near the base of Little Round Top in the battle.
It was then engaged in active duty, with frequent contacts with Confederate forces until Feb. of 1864, when its enlistment term expired. At that time 212 of its members re-enlisted and were furloughed for thirty days to visit their homes.
On April 10, 1864 the Regiment re-assembled at Beverly Ford, Va. and then took an active part of the Campaign of 1864 being engaged at Allsops Mill, Spottsylvania, The Nye River, The North Anna River, Jerico Mill and Tolopotomy. It crossed the James River on June 16, 1864 and arrived in front of Petersburg on the 18th. when it was engaged in a desperate encounter with Confederate forces at Poplar Grove Church. The Regiment was continually employed, either building fortifications or skirmishing with the Confederates until Feb. 05, 1865, when it started on the pursuit of Gen. Lee's retreating forces around Richmond, Va., marching and fighting until the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House. After the surrender the Regiment proceeded by rail to Louisville, Ky., where it was mustered out of Federal service on July 19th. They then returned to Jackson, Mi. arriving on July 22nd. ceremoniously paid off and disbanded.
During their terms of Federal service they were engaged at:
Manassass,Va.
Mechanicsville,Va.
Gaines Mill,Va.
Peach Orchard,Va.
Savage Station,Va.
Turkey Bend,Va.
White Oak Swamp,Va.
Malvern Hill,Va.
Harrisons Landing,Va.
Gainesville,Va.
2nd.Manassass,Va.
Antietam, Md
Shepards Ford,Va.
Snickers Gap,Va.
Fredricksburg,Va.
U.S. Ford,Va.
Chancellorsville,Va.
Williamsport,Va.
Ashby's Gap,Va.
Gettysburg,Pa.
Kellys Ford,Va.
Wapping Heights,Va.
Culpepper,Va.
Brandy Station,Va
Rappahannock St.,Va.
Cross Roads,Va.
Mine Run,Va.
Wilderness,Va.
Laurel Hill,Va.
Po River,Va.
Spottsylvania,Va.
Ny River,Va.
North Anna River,Va.
Jerico Mills,Va.
Noel's Turn,Va.
Tolopotomy,Va.
Magnolia Swamp,Va.
Bethesda Church,Va.
Petersburg,Va.
Weldon R.R.,Va.
Peebles Farm,Va.
Hatcher's Run,Va.
Nottoway Court House
Dabney's Mill,Va.
White Oak Road,Va.
Five Forks,Va.
Amelia Court House,Va
High Bridge, Va.
Appomatox Court House,Va.
Total Enrollment........ 1884
Killed in Action........230
Died of Wounds........39
Died in Confederate Prisons..9
Died of Disease........76
Discharged from Wounds.....303
Total Casualty Rate......34.8%
(colored)
1863-1865
Later the 102nd. United States Colored Troops
United States Colored Troops
From Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War, Washington D.C., dated July 24, 1863, in part, "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".
Under this order to Austin Blair, then Governor of Michigan, the Regiment known originally as the First Regiment of Colored Infantry, afterwards its designation changed to the 102nd. United States Colored Troops was commenced on the 12th. day of August, 1863, upon completion with 895 men on its roll,
receiving their commission into the service of the United States.
The Regiment left its rendezvous at Detroit on the 28th. of March, 1864, under the command of Colonel Bennett, joining the 9th. Army Corp at Annapolis, Md, remaining at that place until the 15th. of April, when they were detached from that Corp, embarking on steamers for Hilton Head, S.C., arriving there on the 19th. of that month.
Detachments of the Regiment were employed on picket duty on St. Helena and Jenkin's Islands, then at Sea Wall and Spanish Wells, on Hilton Head, for one month. They were then ordered to the fort at Port Royal, where they were assigned the task of building fortifications, they also assisted in the construction of a second line of defenses. On the 15th. of June they moved to Beaufort, on Port Royal Island, They were here employed as camp guard and provost duty until the end of August. Embarking at this time for
Jacksonville, Fl, arriving there on the 3rd.
On the following day, they marched to Baldwin, a railroad junction, 21 miles from Jacksonville, where they were engaged on picket duty, also destroying tracks there. On the 11th. of that month they were suddenly attacked by a force of Confederate Cavalry, which they easily repulsed, which by their action in the fight, fully convinced their officers, they were indeed a most reliable and gallant fighting Regiment.
Leaving Baldwin on the 15th., the Regiment participated in an expedition through the Eastern part of Florida, making a circuit if nearly one hundred miles in 5 days, then reaching the St. Johns River, at Magnolia, thirty five miles above Jacksonville. They remained at Magnolia, building fortifications, while performing other garrison duties.
Reembarking foe Beaufort, the Regiment reached there on the 31st. On the 1st. of September, they were sent to the front to do picket duty, in which duty, they were engaged with the Confederates at different points on Coosa, Lady's and Port Royal Islands. The Confederates made an attempt, in early
October, to land a surprise force, under the cover of darkness, to attack the Regiment on duty at Lady's Island, but were discovered, when after a brief fire fight were driven off.
On the 30th. of November a detachment of the Regiment, consisting of 12 officers and 300 men left Beaufort, joining General Foster's column at Boyd's Landing, being engaged with the Confederates at Honey Hill, S.C., then at Tillifinny on December the 7th., again at Devaux Neck on the 9th. At the points named, they performed most gallantly in the face of a vastly superior force sustaining in the three engagements 65 in killed and wounded.
On January 19, 1865, the several companies doing duty at the outposts returned to Beaufort, then on the 28th. set out for Pocotalligo, where they remained until the 7th. of February, then crossed the Salkehatchie River to Charleston, until on the 8th. they made a reconnaissance to Cuckwold Creek.
where Confederate skirmishers were met, driving them from the area. On March the 9th., the Regiment boarded steamers for the trip to Savannah, GA, where they remained until the on the 9th., found them striking the Southern works at Nelson's Ferry.
On the 18th., near Manchester, the Regiment, along with the 54th. Mass., succeeded in flanking the Confederates there, driving them in great disorder in the direction of Statesburg. The Regiment remained in that general area until the Confederates approached them under a flag of truce with a dispatch
that Generals Lee and Johnston had surrendered, the war then over. The Regiment stayed at there post until April 25th. when they marched to Charleston, remaining there until September 30th., when they were mustered out and proceeded to Michigan, arriving at Detroit on the 17th. of October, to be paid of and disbanded.
During their term of federal service, they were engaged at:
Baldwin,Fl/ Honey Hill,SC/ Tillifinny,SC/ Devaux Neck,SC/ Cuckwold's Creek,SC/ Sumpterville,SC/ Spring Hill,SC/ Swift Creek,SC/ Boykin's,SC/ Singleton's Plantation,SC
Total Enrollment-1446... Killed in Action-6... Died of Wounds-5... Died of Disease-129
Total Casualty Rate-9.6%
"We rose and rushed unto her aid,
White faces sank into the grave,
Black faces too, and all were brave,
Their red blood thrilled Columbia's heart,
For it could not tell the two apart".
The Battle of Fort Pillow
(April 12, 1864)
In April 1864, the Union garrison at Fort Pillow, a Confederate-built earthen fortification and a Union-built inner redoubt, overlooking the Mississippi River about forty river miles above Memphis, comprised 295 white Tennessee troops and 262 U.S. Colored Troops, all under the command of Maj. Lionel F. Booth. Confederate Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest attacked the fort on April 12 with a cavalry division of approximately 2,500 men. Forrest seized the older outworks, with high knolls commanding the Union position, to surround Booth's force. Rugged terrain prevented the gunboat New Era from providing effective fire support for the Federals. The garrison was unable to depress its artillery enough to cover the approaches to the fort. To make matters worse, Rebel sharpshooters, on the surrounding knolls, began wounding and killing the Federals, including Booth, who was killed. Maj. William F. Bradford then took over command of the garrison. The Confederates launched a determined attack at 11:00 am, occupying more strategic locations around the fort, and Forrest demanded unconditional surrender. Bradford asked for an hour for consultation and Forrest granted twenty minutes. Bradford refused surrender and the Confederates renewed the attack, soon overran the fort, and drove the Federals down the river's bluff into a deadly crossfire. Casualties were high and only sixty-two of the U.S. Colored Troops survived the fight. Many accused the Confederates of perpetrating a massacre of the black troops, and that controversy continues today. The Confederates evacuated Fort Pillow that evening so they gained little from the attack except to temporarily disrupt Union operations. The Fort Pillow Massacre became a Union rallying cry and cemented resolve to see the war through to its conclusion.
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