At the onset of the civil war, blacks in various life situations from freemen to escaped slaves, wanted to enlist in the Union forces but were initially refused. As conditions changed, Union leadership realized the need for increased numbers. One of these new conditions was the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1863. Michigan governor Austin Blair, in August of 1863, received US authorization to form the First Michigan Colored Infantry Regiment. Soldiers were recruited from Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Marshall, Cassopolis, Niles and even a few from Canada. Of the approximately 1400 troops that made up what was respectfully called "The Corps D'Afrique", by the
Detroit Free Press, about 1000 had been born in slave states.
On March 28, 1864, they set out from Detroit to join the Union Army. Upon arrival in Washington, they were transferred to federal authority and renamed 102nd US Colored Infantry (USCT). They started their engagement at Port Royal, South Carolina area assigned to building fortifications. As the war continued, they fought several battles from Baldwin, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina and Georgia. They were involved in several battle engagements, the most notable a battle engagement at Gorhamsville for which they received commendation from their officers for their countercharge, retrieval of guns left by killed soldiers and eventual victory.
During the war, white troops were paid $13 per month while black troops were paid $10 per month minus a $3 per month clothing withholding. In September of 1864, Congress equalized their pay with backpay of 18 months from time of enlistment, but this was only granted to freemen.
If you are in the Detroit area, you can visit the Elmwood Cemetery to view a few of the soldiers' graves. https://www.elmwoodhistoriccemetery.org/biographies/102nd-u-s-colored-troops-civil-war-lot/
By the end of the Civil War, approximately 180,000 to 20,000 black soldiers served in the USCT which comprised about 10% of the US, Army. About 10,000 to 20,000 served as sailors. Many more soldiers served in the war as civilians in positions such as cooks, engineers and many others.
See the 1989 movie "Glory" based on the novel "Lay This Laurel", 1973.
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