102nd United States Colored Troops Company C

08/28/2026

This past weekend, we were honored to participate in the Jackson Civil War Muster at Cascades Falls Park. We were grateful for the many visitors who came through our camp, watched the battles, and took the time to learn more about the men of the 102nd. Throughout the weekend, our organization operated as the 4th Company of the event, participating in battles, drills, camp life, and other activities alongside reenactors from across the region.

Bringing the story of the 102nd USCT to life in Jackson carries special significance. Jackson and the surrounding area provided a good number of recruits for the 1st Michigan Colored Regiment (later redesignated the 102nd United States Colored Troops). Jackson was also the site of one of the regiment’s major early public appearances, when the men were reviewed by Governor Austin Blair in front of his home on Lansing Avenue in December of 1863. Blair delivered a speech to the soldiers a few months before they departed Michigan for active service. More than 160 years later, we were honored to once again represent these men in a community that played an important role in their story.

We commend the new organizers of the Jackson Civil War Muster for a successful weekend and for their work in continuing this longstanding Jackson tradition. We are also thankful to the reenactors, volunteers, and especially the many visitors who supported the event and our young men throughout the weekend. It was an honor to represent the 102nd United States Colored Troops, Company C, in Jackson and to help ensure that the service, sacrifice, and legacy of Michigan’s African American Civil War soldiers continue to be remembered.

06/19/2026

Help the Next Generation Keep History Alive! Through our Student Living History America250 campaign, we are working to raise $5,000 to support the students who bring the stories of African American soldiers and communities to life. Your contribution helps remove financial barriers for our students while ensuring these important stories remain part of our nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

As America prepares to commemorate this historic milestone, our students are helping tell the full American story through living history, public interpretation, and educational programming. Through their work, these young people serve as educators at schools, museums, parks, and major public events, reaching thousands of visitors each year.

Help GOSPEL ARMY BLACK HISTORY GROUP reach their goal by donating or sharing with your friends.

06/18/2026

This past weekend, we were honored to participate in The Henry Ford's Greenfield Village Block Party celebrating the opening of the Jackson House, an important landmark of the American Civil Rights Movement. As the nation prepares to observe Juneteenth, it was especially meaningful to share the story of the United States Colored Troops and the courageous men of the 1st Michigan Colored Regiment, later designated as the 102nd United States Colored Troops, whose service helped secure freedom during the Civil War and helped lay the foundation for the generations who would continue the fight for equality during the Civil Rights Movement.

Throughout the weekend, our members brought history to life through an authentic encampment, military demonstrations, and educational programs for visitors from across the Metro Detroit area. The opening of the Jackson House provided a fitting backdrop for these conversations, reminding us that the struggle for freedom did not end in 1865, but continued through the efforts of countless Americans who worked to expand the promise of liberty and equal rights. We are also grateful for the support of local officials, including Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, who continue to recognize the importance of preserving and sharing this history with future generations.

We extend our sincere thanks to The Henry Ford for the opportunity to be part of this special occasion. We were also grateful to work alongside our friends in Company B of Detroit, who served as wonderful neighbors throughout the weekend at the Ford Home. Together, we helped share an important chapter of our nation's story and were honored to engage with the many visitors who stopped by to learn more about the legacy of the United States Colored Troops.

Photos by Wayne Dabney🇺🇸

05/26/2026

This past Memorial Day weekend, we were honored to participate in the National Salute to America’s Heroes at the Hyundai Air & Sea Show in Miami Beach, Florida. With approximately 800,000 attendees throughout the weekend, we were proud to take part in one of the nation’s largest Memorial Day events.

Each day provided an incredible opportunity to engage with spectators, veterans, and active military personnel from across the country. In addition, our organization had the privilege of taking the landing zone along the Miami Beach coastline to demonstrate the firing capabilities and battlefield tactics of Civil War-era muskets live before the audience and a national Fox Nation broadcast audience. Demonstrations included volley fire, firing by file and rank, and deployment into skirmish formations.

We are especially grateful to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Gardens Mayor Rodney Harris, and Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper for recognizing the importance of this history. Each mayor officially proclaimed Saturday, May 23, 2026, as “United States Colored Troops Day” within their respective municipalities, helping bring awareness to the extraordinary sacrifice and legacy of these men to the more than 2.8 million residents they collectively serve.

Florida itself holds a significant place in the history of the United States Colored Troops. African American soldiers fought courageously in key engagements across the state, including the Battle of Olustee and operations around Baldwin, west of Jacksonville. These soldiers often served under extremely dangerous conditions while confronting Confederate forces throughout the region. Their service in Florida became part of the larger struggle that ultimately helped secure freedom and contribute to the end of slavery in the United States.

During the organization’s return trip, a journey of more than 20 hours for our students, the team toured several historic locations along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina where the original men of the 102nd conducted operations, engagements, and encampments from 1864 through the end of the war in 1865. This expedition made the Florida mission not only educational for those attending the event in Miami Beach, but also deeply meaningful and educational for our own team as we continued to study and honor the legacy of these soldiers.

04/23/2026

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and visited us during our program at the Traverse Area District Library. Despite the chilly weather, we were honored to welcome and speak with more than 300 visitors throughout the day. Their interest, questions, and support made this program truly meaningful for our historians! We are especially grateful to Traverse City Mayor Amy Shamroe for taking the time to visit our encampment and for her proclamation recognizing April 18, 2026 as “102nd United States Colored Troops Remembrance Day” in Traverse City. This recognition was deeply meaningful and helped shine a light on the valor and sacrifice of Michigan’s African American soldiers.

It is especially honoring to share this history in Northern Michigan, as some veterans of the regiment later made their homes in the region surrounding the Leelanau Peninsula. Among them were John Holland, born in Canada, who enlisted at just 20 years old while working as a stone cutter, and Russell Woodford, born in Virginia and likely formerly enslaved, who joined the regiment at 44 years old as one of its older soldiers and listed his occupation as a farmer. Their lives reflect the wide range of men who answered the call to serve, and their presence in this region after the war connects this national story directly to the local community.

Special thank you Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation!🇺🇸

04/13/2026

Thank you coming out this past Saturday to help share our work WILX News 10!🇺🇸

The U.S. Civil War ended 161 years ago, but the 102nd United States Colored Troops brought attendees back in time at the Foster Community Center Branch Library.

04/12/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday at the Capital Area District Libraries Foster Branch for our program. We also extend our sincere thanks to Mayor Andy Schor of the City of Lansing for proclaiming April 11, 2026 as “102nd United States Colored Troops Day.” This recognition means a great deal to our organization and honors the legacy of the soldiers we represent. Special thank you to the Community Foundation and City of Lansing, Michigan for their continued support of our organization. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue sharing their story with the public.

At least ten men from the Lansing area and its surrounding communities enlisted in the 1st Michigan Colored Regiment, including George W. Henderson, a seventeen-year-old Lansing resident, along with Benjamin Brooks, Charles H. Crockett, Noah Hill, and others whose backgrounds ranged from farmers to mechanics. Their stories reflect the working-class roots of the regiment and the determination of these men to fight for freedom and equality.

Among the most compelling chapters in this history is the enlistment of young men from the Michigan Boys’ Reform School, located in Lansing. Facing overcrowding and limited resources during the war, the institution allowed older boys to enlist, offering them a path toward redemption and service. These young soldiers endured the hardships of war, with some making the ultimate sacrifice. Noah Hill, for example, rose to the rank of sergeant before being killed in action in South Carolina just days before the war’s end.

The Lansing area was also connected through leadership and postwar memory. Henry D. Benham, a graduate of the Michigan State Agricultural College (Michigan State University), served as an officer in the regiment before dying in service in 1864. The legacy of the regiment continued into the postwar period, marked by both honor and tragedy, including the story of John Taylor, a formerly enslaved soldier who survived the war only to be lynched in nearby Mason in 1866—a reminder that the fight for justice extended far beyond the battlefield.

Photographs by Courtland Jenkins Production Freelancer