102nd US Colored Infantry

Organized May 23, 1864, from 1st Michigan Colored Infantry. Attached to District of Hilton Head, S. C., Dept. of the South and District of Beaufort, S. C., Dept. of the South, to August, 1864. District of Florida, Dept. of the South, to October, 1864. 2nd Separate Brigade, Dept. of the South, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Coast Division, Dept. of the South, to February, 1865. 2nd Separate Brigade, Dept. of the South, to March, 1865. 1st Separate Brigade and Dept. of the South to September, 1865.

Service: Garrison at Port Royal, S. C., till June 15. Moved to Beaufort, S. C., and garrison duty there till August 1. Moved to Jacksonville, Fla., August 1-3. Picket duty at Baldwin till August 15. Attack on Baldwin August 11-12. Raid on Florida Central Railroad August 15-19. At Magnolia till August 29. Moved to Beaufort, S. C., August 29-31, and duty there till January, 1865, engaged in outpost and picket duty on Port Royal, Lady and Coosa Islands. (A Detachment at Honey Hill November 30, 1864. Demonstration on Charleston & Savannah Railroad December 6-9. Deveaux's Neck, Tillifinny River, December 6 and 9.) Detachment at Beaufort; rejoined other Detachment at Deveaux's Neck, S. C., January 24, 1865. Moved to Pocotaligo February 28. Advance on Charleston February 7-23. Skirmish at Cuckwold Creek February 8 (Cos. "B," "E" and "I"). Duty at Charleston Neck till March 9. Moved to Savannah, Ga., March 9-16. Moved to Georgetown March 28-April 1. (Right wing of Regiment, under Chapman, moved to Charleston April 7-9, thence march to join Potter at Nelson's Ferry April 11-18.) Potter's Expedition from Georgetown to Camden April 5-29. Statesburg April 15. Occupation of Camden April 17. Boykin's Mills April 18. Bradford Springs April 18 (right wing). Dingle's Mills April 19. Singleton's Plantation April 19. Beech Creek, near Statesburg, April 19. Moved to Charleston April 29, thence to Summerville May 7-8; to Branchville May 18; to Orangeburg May 25, and provost duty there till July 28. March to Winsboro July 28-August 3, and duty there till September. Moved to Charleston and muster out September 30, 1865.

Predecessor unit: MICHIGAN VOLUNTEERS. 1st REGIMENT COLORED INFANTRY.

Organized at Detroit, Mich., August, 1863, to February, 1864. Mustered in February 17, 1864. Moved to Annapolis, Md., march 29, and joined 9th Army Corps. At Annapolis, Md., till April 15. Ordered to Hilton Head, S.C., April 15. Picket and outpost duty on Hilton Head and St. Helena Islands, S.C., and garrison at Port Royal till June 15. Designation of Regiment changed to 102nd United States Colored Troops May 23, 1864. 

Jeremiah Patton 1824-1897

Jeremiah Patton was born in Williamson County, Tennessee, around 1824.  According to his pension application, he escaped bondage and ran away  in 1854. Patton would have been about 26 years old. He made his way to Ypsilanti, Michigan - an important stop on the Underground Railroad - where he worked as a laborer helping masons. By 1860, Jeremiah Patton was married with two young daughters. The family lived in Ypsilanti with his brother-in-law.  Both men enlisted in the 1st Michigan Colored Infantry, later renumbered the 102nd US Colored Infantry.  Patton mustered in at Camp Blair in Jackson, MI.  From there, he and other recruits were sent to Hart Island, on the tip of Long Island, NY for training. By March 13, 1865, he was at City Point in Virginia, a POW Camp for Confederate prisoners. On September 30, 1865, he mustered out at Charleston, South Carolina.  Patton returned to Ypsilanti. He died there on March 20, 1897 and was buried in the Highland Cemetery.