At the start of the Civil War, President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteer troops to serve a period of three months. These troops were only considered volunteers and were not officially part of the United States Army. Volunteer regiments were organized by states and Michigan began to answer the proclamation and fill its required quota. Many in the beginning of the war did not think that hostilities would last very long, but the battle of Manassas (or Bull Run, July 21, 1861), would teach the nation that the war would be long and grueling.

            After President Lincoln called for more troops, Congress authorized soldiers to serve longer enlistments of three years in the volunteer army. One regiment who was organized during this period was the 12th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, in which citizens of Cass County enlisted. Company A of the 12th Michigan. “…was comprised almost entirely of men from this county…”.[1] These me would be some of the first to see action at the Battle of Shiloh.

            On the morning of April 6, 1862, Confederate troops rushed and surprised the bivouac of the 12th Michigan, who were camped not far from Pittsburgh landing. These Cass County men were the spearhead of an advance toward Corinth Mississippi, to take control of an important railroad crossing that helped to supply and move troops of the Confederacy. As the Southern army advanced, tents belonging to the regiment caught fire during the battle. When the regiment retreated and reformed, Co. A lost men such as James Colby who was killed in action. Franklin Bailey, who was part of the 12th Michigan but probably not from Cass County wrote his parents that, “…the sight was simply terrible, beyond description.”.[2]

            As the 12th Michigan Infantry was fighting hard, back home formerly enslaved black men who had settled in Cass County watched for their opportunity to serve. That opportunity came on August 12, 1863, when the 1st Regiment Michigan Infantry (colored) was organized. The unit was mustered in response to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton who instructed northern state governors to enlist black men into segregated regiments. Later, this unit was redesignated the 102nd United States Colored Troops.

            On December 9, 1864, the soldiers of the 102nd distinguished themselves at the Battle of Devaux Neck in South Carolina. In defense of the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, Confederate troops made a push on the federal forces who sought to seize the rail line. During the struggle, Union artillery became vulnerable. Cass County resident Sgt. Jesse Madry moved his troops into their proper positions, as the regiment formed a critical line of battle maneuver.

In an after-action report Col. Henry L. Chipman wrote, “…Sergeant Madry brought his company and formed it in its proper place in the battalion.”[3] The regiment then helped to check the Confederate advance, and secure three guns of the artillery battery. In the effort, Jesse Maudry of Cassopolis, was wounded twice. The Cass County men of the 102nd USCT distinguished itself bravely and patriotically, despite the prejudices they faced.

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Timeline Correction:  The 1st Michigan Infantry was formed in Detroit and consisted of white troops only. At the time of the Civil War, volunteer army regiments were segregated by race. I believe that the authors of the current timeline are referring to the 1st Regiment Michigan Infantry (colored), which was also raised in Detroit but enlisted men from all over southern Michigan. Men from Cass County answered the call for black troops. The regiment was only known by that designation for a short while and quickly became the 102nd United States Colored Troops. I have not researched why the designation changed but I have my theories.

Written by Darren Bettinger, CCHS President 

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[1] Waterman, Watkins and Co. History of Cass County Michigan. 2nd ed. (Lansing, MI: Inter-Collegiate Press Service, 1985), 121.

[2] James Lee McDonough, Shiloh-in Hell before Night, 7th ed.  (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 2003), 5.

[3] Henry L. Chipman. “Operations In S.C., GA., and FLA,” Find A Grave, accessed January 20, 2025, https://www.findagrave.com/photos/2021/59/104236900_1af5beee-84c4-4277-9920-6d1e32cf76f4.jpeg