Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-10-17
REGIMENT OF CoIoRED TROOPS.
Arrival of the 1921 United States Col
Ored Observation-Disclosures Dinner
at the HOme-Retinue of Wives
and COntrabands.

The right wing of the lO2d U. s.. Colored
Infantry arrived here at two o'clock yester-
day afternoon, over the Lake Shore road,
from Charleston, S. c., via New York. The
left wing will be along in a day or two.
The force numbered 500, including women
and children. Brevet Brigadier General H
L. Chapman, the former Colonel, was in
command. The regiment was recruited in
Michigan, and organized in Jackson, same
state, and went into the field two years
since as the LIST Michigan, but has
since been converted into the 1O2d U. S.
Colored. 1t has been recruited up to eleven
hundred men.
The regiment was fed at the Home. The
dinner was the most sumptuous imaginable.
All the su~bstantials now in market, as well
as all the luxuries of the season, loaded
down the tables. The dinner received COM
pliments on every hand, but the ladies said
the best compliment paid it was its evident
relish by the men. This being their first
experience ofthe hospitality of the Commits
sion, Captain Bradley took occasion, after
dinner, to make a little speech, in the course
of which he explained to the men matters
and things concerning the Sanitary Com
mission, Soldiers Homes, &c, paying said
Commission and the ladies of the Home
here handsome compliments, which elected
from the men three times three rousing
cheers.
About half-past three o'clock the boys fell
into line, and, preceded by the excellent
regimental band, took up the line of march
to the Detroit steamboat landing. Super
intendent Schwab distributed among the
more destitute and shabby a dozen glazed
caps and, when these failed, an equal num-
Dor of palm Ieafhats-the men greatly pre-
ferring the "shiny" caps. Quite a number
of old, ~dilapidated breeches, brogans, &C.,
were sloug' ed, and left on the piers as me-
mentoes of martial service. One or two of
the men remained behind, in consequence
of ague or similar indisposition.
The men were of all shades, some black
as thunder clouds and others bleaehed
to a color which nearly allied them
with "white folks" They were not all
dressed in regular United States uniform,
and their conglomerate suits gave them, as
they marched in good order, airy We
picturesque aspect. We could not dis
cover that they did not move off with
as much steadiness and fine soldiery bear
ing as white troops.
But it was not alone in the notified suits
and shades of complexion that this regi-
ment was exceptional. The attendants of
the soldiers, namely, women and former
young contrabands, recalled the descrip-
tons of Xerxes' grand army of invasion,
with its retinue of slaves, servants, women
and what-not. These women were wives of
the soldiers, whom the latter had "picked
up" in South Carolina. They were Yerita-
BILE wives, the husbands having, as the off
GERS informed us, certificates of marriage, or
deeds of wifely possession in their breeches'
pocket, The women were comfortably
dressed, and seemed quite intelligent and
decidedly festive. The children in atten-
dance were not fruits" but c%ontrabands
who had voluntarily taken up the line of
march with the regiment.
The regiment left for Detroit last evening,
on the regular boat.