August 12, 1863

The First Michigan Colored Infantry was authorized.

Henry Barnes, editor of the Detroit Advertiser and Tribune, received permission from Michigan adjutant general Jonathan Robertson to raise and organize a regiment of African Americans from the state of Michigan. The First Michigan Colored Infantry would go off to war in early 1864.

Thank you Michigan History Magazine for this glimpse into our past.  See more at www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.