COLLIN BELANGER – 102nd INFANTRYDESERTED AT THE ROCHESTER FAIRGROUNDS - Collin Belanger or Collins Bellinger enlisted in the 102nd Infantry in Plattsburgh on December 20, 1861. The 102nd was known as the Van Buren Light Infantry and was a 3-year regiment.Collin mustered into Company K on December 26th, and was soon transferred to Company E. On March 10th eight companies started for Washington, but Company K didn’t go until April 7th. By this time, Collin had deserted from Camp Hillhouse in Rochester and disappeared into the anonymous pages of history.You can read a description of the camp at: http://nyhistoric.com/2013/10/camp-hillhouse/The 102nd went on to fight in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, Georgian and North and South Carolina - Antietam, Gettysburg, the Atlanta Campaign, the Savannah Campaign and the Campaign of the Carolinas. They were the only New York Regiment that was with General Sherman all through his Grand March.
