The 54thMassachusetts arrived in South Carolina under thecommand of James Montgomery, an Ohionative that led the 2ndSouth Carolina Volunteers a freedmans regiment. "[13], The Congressional bill, enacted on June 16, 1864, authorized equal and full pay to those enlisted troops who had been free men as of April 19, 1861. On May 28, 1863, the 54th departed for the war front, marching through Boston, and loaded onto the transport DeMolay for their voyage south. In fact, the opposite was true: Shaws parents replied that there could be no holier place to be buried than surrounded bybrave and devoted soldiers.. G.A.R. Mr. White "was a leader," said David Cunningham Jr. of . Col. Shaw was killed, along with 29 of his men; 24 more later died of wounds, 15 were captured, 52 were missing in action and never accounted for, and 149 were wounded. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Reconstruction Era National Historical Park They did so in spite of an announcement by the Confederate Congress that every captured Black soldier would be sold into slavery and every white officer in command of Black troops would be executed. Sergeant William H. Carney, born enslaved in Virginia, settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts after escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad. Shaw himself was shot in the chest on his way over the wall and died instantly. Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. The new unit is now known as the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. 54th Regiment History. When the 54th was within 150 yards of the battlements of the well-defended fort, they began receiving cannon and rifle fire from the fort's defenders. To learn more about the history of the Robert Gould Shaw/54th Massachusetts Memorial and its use over time, please visit The Ongoing March: Commemoration and Activism at the Robert Gould Shaw/54th Regiment Memorial. It was originally titled "Colonel Shaw and the Massachusetts' 54th" and published in Life Studies (1959). [29] Shaw objected to this activity and complained over Montgomery's head that burning and looting were not suitable activities for his model regiment. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment - The beginning In fact, at the Battle of Olustee, when ordered forward to protect the retreat of the Union forces, the men moved forward shouting, "Massachusetts and Seven Dollars a Month! Upon reaching the town, Montgomery set his troops to looting it. "Bravest Colored Soldier," Boston Herald, January 10, 1898, 6. The regiment paraded through the streets of Beaufort, where onlookers included soldiers in the 1st and 2nd South Carolina Volunteers, two all-Black regiments organized in the Sea Islands the previous year. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was one of the first Black units during the Civil War. The 54th, along with the 35thUnited States ColoredTroops, repulsed the Confederate advance successfully. With the cessation of the naval bombardment the largely intact Confederate garrison left their bomb-proofs and resumed their positions on the walls. After the town had been emptied of all valuables and livestock, Montgomery told Shaw, "I shall burn this town." This recognition raised the morale of the regiment. "9 The heroic efforts of the 54th Regiment inspired the nation to begin mass recruitment and mobilization of Black soldiers. [49], The unit was reactivated on November 21, 2008, to serve as the Massachusetts Army National Guard ceremonial unit to render military honors at funerals and state functions. A unit of United States Colored Troops (USCT), the men of the 54th distinguished themselves as courageous Soldiers. Through their actions, the 54th helped convince a skeptical public and military that Black men could and would fight bravely. [6] After its departure from Massachusetts on May 28, 1863, the 54th Massachusetts was shipped to Beaufort, South Carolina and became part of the X Corps commanded by Major General David Hunter. But the Union generals had miscalculated: 1,700 Confederate soldiers waited inside the fort, ready for battle. The American Civil War is one of the most studied and dissected events in our historybut what you don't know may surprise you. The Massachusetts 54th Regiment: Honoring the Heroes Robert Gould Shaw - Wikipedia Regiment, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the Morris Island campaign." by Virginia M. Adams (Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1991). The 54th Massachusetts and other Black regiments continued to protest their unequal pay following Shaw's death in July 1863 and through much of 1864. . Duncan, Russell. "[21] Despite this, as was common in the Civil War, a few men died of disease prior to the 54th's departure from Camp Meigs. Shaw's efforts and that of the 54th Massachusetts regiment were dramatized in the 1989 Oscar-winning film Glory. The proclamation allowed free black men to enlist in the Union army. Their gravestones were marked as "unknown. Located on James Island outside of Charleston, South Carolina, the Battle of Grimballs Landing gave a chance for the regiment to prove themselves in battle. "[32], After the engagement, their division commander, Brig. [39], Under the command of now-Colonel Edward Hallowell, the 54th fought a rear-guard action covering the Union retreat at the Battle of Olustee. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 3. Emilio, Luis F., A Brave Black Regiment: History of The Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1863-1865, New York, NY: Da Capo Press, 1995. Early in February 1863, the abolitionist Governor John A. Andrew of Massachusetts issued the Civil Wars first call for Black soldiers. After the regimental color bearer was killed, Carney grabbed the colors before they hit the ground and moved to the front of the attack. More than half the regiment was lost in that battle. "[40], Shaw's sword had been stolen from the first gravesite but was recovered in 1865 and returned to his parents. This fight provided the 54th with combat experience and earned them the praise of their fellow soldiers from the Tenth Connecticut whom they helped save from Confederate attack and capture. [35], The 54th Massachusetts numbered 600 men at the time of the assault. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. She spent the last two years of her life living at her former family house, and died in 1907, never having remarried. Supporting the 54th | Witness to History Boston African American National Historical Site "[4], While Shaw was studying in Europe, Harriet Beecher Stowe, an abolitionist friend of his parents, published her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852). Emilio, Louis. There was a gentleman by the name of Christian Fleetwood who also fought in the 54th and was putting together the 1900 Exhibition in Paris that was going to show Blacks. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was divided into eleven companies (A through K). Most of the Black . Why is the 54th Massachusetts So Famous? - Civil War Academy In a letter to the regimental surgeon, Lincoln Stone, Frank Shaw wrote: We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers. [4] Massachusetts Governor John Albion Andrew, who had long pressured the U.S. Department of War to begin recruiting African-Americans, placed a high priority on the formation of the 54th Massachusetts. "[52] Shaw's father wrote in response that he was proud that Robert, a fierce fighter for equality, had been buried in that manner. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment - American Battlefield Trust According to the Boston Evening Transcript, "no single regiment has attracted larger crowds into the streets than the 54th. MA To lead the 54th Massachusetts, Governor Andrew chose a young white officer named Robert Gould Shaw. [2] Wendell Phillips and Edward L. Pierce spoke at a Joy Street Church recruiting rally, encouraging free blacks to enlist. Juneteenth 2022: The Historical Impact of the 54th Massachusetts The regiment was mustered out of the army after the war, in August 1865. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment, organized in the northern states during the Civil War. Boston Black Soldiers Monument Faces Scrutiny Amid Racial Reckoning - WBUR [4], With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Shaw volunteered to serve with the 7th New York Militia. Shaw was amember of the 2ndMassachusetts and had already seencombat andwaspreviouslywounded at the Battle of Antietam. Shaw, the 54th regiment, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens's memorial are one of the subjects of, This page was last edited on 15 June 2023, at 09:44. Its first success came on July 16, 1863, in the Sea Islands off South Carolina, where the unit repelled a Confederate attack on James Island. I know not, Governor Andrew said at the close of the parade, where in all human history to any given thousand men in arms there has been committed a work at once so proud, so precious, so full of hope and glory as the work committed to you. That evening, the 54th Infantry boarded a transport ship bound for Charleston. [17] About 100 people were actively involved in recruitment, including those from Joy Street Church and a group of individuals appointed by Governor Andrew to enlist black men for the 54th. So Mr. Fleetwood petitioned the War Department along with Luis Fenollosa Emilio, who wrote A Brave Black Regiment: A History of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 1863-1865. Shaws parents were wealthy and prominent abolitionist activists. Updates? Shaw himself had dropped out of Harvard to join the Union Army and had been injured in the Battle of Antietam. This resulted in what he described as "a more robust, strong and healthy set of men were never mustered into the service of the United States. The free black community in Boston was also instrumental in recruiting efforts, utilizing networks reaching beyond Massachusetts and even into the southern states to attract soldiers and fill out the ranks. Knowing this battle would prove vital to shaping public opinion about the use of Black soldiers, Shaw told his men "'how the eyes of thousands would look upon the nights work. [10] More recently, the 54th Massachusetts gained prominence in popular culture through the 1989 film Glory. Notable abolitionists including Frederick Douglass and local leaders such as Lewis Hayden recruited men for the 54 th Regiment. Letter from Lewis Douglass to Frederick Douglass and Anna Murray Douglass, July 20, 1863. The 54thengaged the highly outnumbered Confederate troops in a successful attack that left two men killed and thirteen wounded. [50] Reid Mitchell notes Duncan "returns the historic Shaw" to readers, complete with his bias against the Irish and African Americans, both typical of his time. [1] Shaw had four sisters: Anna, Josephine (Effie), Susanna, and Ellen (Nellie). Above them floats an angel holding an olive branch, a symbol of peace, and a bouquet of poppies, a symbol of remembrance. Soldier and Officer Database Enlisted Soldiers This table includes the names of individuals who served as enlisted soldiers with the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. 6. Despite his image in the 1989 film Glory, Robert Gould Shaw was a reluctant leader of the famous 54th Massachusetts Infantry, one of the first African American regiments in the Civil War. The monument commemorates the July 18, 1863, storming of Fort Wagner, near Charleston, South Carolina. The anticipation of another engagement was itching in the 54th's collars. Home 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment Raising a True John Brown Corps As the Civil War commenced, George L. Stearns found it imperative to look for ways of encouraging abolition other than emancipation. So along with sending in those documents, the medal was sent to him with the acknowledgment." The 54thloaded onto theDemolayand ventured south. Photograph of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw The ranks of the 54th Massachusetts where quickly filled from volunteers across the Union States, and the regiment began its training in March of 1863. Fathers and sons (some as young as 16) enlisted together. "3 From here, the regiment participated in the raid on Darien, Georgia, before moving back to Beaufort, where they encamped on St. Helena Island. Corrections? [19], The 54th trained at Camp Meigs in Readville near Boston. The Formation of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry [8] The 54th arrived at Port Royal Island on June 4, and was placed under the overall command of Major General David Hunter. 11. The general attitude in the North was that African American troops would prove to be an embarrassment and hindrance to regular army units.[12]. After the war, the 54th's actions were memorialized by Augustus Saint-Gauden'sbronze monument located just outside of the Massachusetts State Housein the Boston Commons. [11] On March 25, 1863, Shaw wrote to his father of his fledgling regiment: Everything goes on prosperously. Many of these officers were of abolitionist families and several were chosen by Governor Andrew himself. The average age at enlistment was 24: the youngest gave his age as 16; the oldest as 47. Gooding, James H. On the Altar of Freedom: A Black Soldier's Civil War Letters From the Front. Even as they fought to end slavery in the Confederacy, the African American soldiers of the 54th were fighting against another injustice as well. His father publicly proclaimed that he was proud to know that his son had been buried with his troops, befitting his role as a soldier and a crusader for emancipation.[38]. One Gallant Rush: Robert Gould Shaw and His Brave Black Regiment. The pair spent a brief honeymoon at the Haggertys' home of Vent Fort, in Lenox, Massachusetts. [8][11], Since the start of the war, abolitionists such as Massachusetts governor John A. Andrew urged enlistment of African Americans as soldiers to fight the Confederacy. They later found out that he did not get the medal. These studies were at the behest of his uncle Joseph Coolidge Shaw, who had been ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1847. [17] On February 6 he telegraphed his father with his decision. Its exploits were depicted in the 1989 film Glory. "[28] Montgomery had the town burned to the ground. Shaw, the 25-year-old son of Boston abolitionists, was white, as were all his officers. On May 28, 1863, the men were ready to depart on their journey. [3] During his teens he traveled and studied for some years in Europe. In the face of heavy fire the 54th hesitated. Prior to 1863, no concerted effort was made to recruit Black troops as Union soldiers. [28] The population had fled, and Montgomery ordered the soldiers to loot and burn the empty town. At the battle on July 18, 1863, the 54th approached the fort in the late afternoon and then waited out of range for a night assault. [43] Joseph Barquet, another member of the regiment, also protested the quality of the food which the soldiers were given, which led to him being court-martialed. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton accordingly instructed the Governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrew, to begin raising regiments including "persons of African descent" on January 26, 1863. [48], On September 28, 1864, the U.S. Congress took action to pay the men of the 54th. He left St. John's in late 1851 before graduation, as the Shaw family departed for an extended tour of Europe. After that, the train was pulled by both men and horses to Jacksonville for a total distance of ten miles (16km). The performance of the 54th Regiment at Fort Wagner convinced many Northern leaders that African Americans could be good soldiers, which paved the way for further enlistment of African Americans in the war effort. )[42] Colonel Shaw and many others immediately began protesting the measure. Shaw opposedMontgomery butcompliedwith Montgomerys ordersto avoid risking a court-martial. [41] (See Legacy and honors. By May of 1863, the regiment had filled to one thousand men andconsistedof men from not onlyMassachusetts, but from New York,Pennsylvania, and other northern cities and states. The 54th's actionsdisplayed in battle paved the way for the Union to begin requisitioning more Black regimentsto contribute in the war effort. In a letter to his family he recalled, "I told him I did not want to take the responsibility of it, and he was only too happy to take all of it on his own shoulders. Governor John Andrew soon created the Massachusetts 54 th Volunteer Infantry. 10. [20] Material support included warm clothing items, battle flags and $500 contributed for the equipping and training of a regimental band. For the next two years, the regiment participated in a series of successful siege operations in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Of course not all the troops qualified. Description This lesson has students explore the formation and legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first Black regiments during the Civil War. The intelligence of the men is a great surprise to me. The Union attack on James Island was intended to draw Confederate troops away from Fort Wagner in anticipation of an upcoming Union assault on the fort. [13] Like many officers of regiments of African-American troops, both Robert Gould Shaw and Hallowell were promoted several grades, both being captains at the time. [49], Colonel Shaw and his men also feature prominently in Robert Lowell's Civil War centennial poem "For the Union Dead." Black men from across the city, state, country, and even other nations, traveled to Boston to join this historic regiment. Post #146, established on December 4, 1871, was named The R. G. Shaw Post in New Bedford, Massachusetts. [16] Robert Shaw was hesitant to take the post,[11] as he did not believe that authorities would send the unit to the front lines, and he did not want to leave his fellow soldiers. After the smoke settled, the 54thhadamassed43 casualties, while the Confederates were pushed back. Robert Gould Shaw (October 10, 1837 July 18, 1863) was an American officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Shaw wrote more than 200 letters to his family and friends during the Civil War. Thousands turned out to watch their farewell parade. Luis F. Emilio, A Brave Black Regiment: History of The Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1863-1865 (New York, NY: Da Capo Press, 1995), 34. Colonel Robert G. Shaw Library of Congress The formation of the 54th Massachusetts was closely watched by the public and politicians within the Union. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Colonel Robert Shaw was killed during the engagement, leaving Edward Hallowell in charge of the 54th. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1999. In mid-April 1865, they fought at the Battle of Boykin's Mill, a small affair in South Carolina that proved to be one of the last engagements of the war. Born into a prominent Boston abolitionist family, he accepted command of the first all-black regiment (the 54th Massachusetts) in the Northeast. On April 30 the regiment drew 950 Enfield rifled muskets and swords for non-commissioned officers (NCOs). ; Finally, for a distinguished American architect's reading . [53] "We hold that a soldier's most appropriate burial-place is on the field where he has fallen. There they march, warm-blooded champions of a better day for man. They were greeted by local blacks and by Northern abolitionists, some of whom had deployed from Boston a year earlier as missionaries to the Port Royal Experiment. In the weeks after the assault on Wagner, General Ulysses S. Grant wrote to President Lincoln, "I have given the subject of arming the negro my hearty support." These online, searchable data sets serve as a resource for finding soldiers and officers who served in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment between February 1863 and August 1865. Local leaders such as Lewis Hayden as well as national spokesmen including Frederick Douglass helped recruit soldiers for the regiment. Please read the Advertising Disclosure for more information. Massachusetts did not have many African American residents, but by the time 54th Infantry regiment headed off to training camp two weeks later more than 1,000 men had volunteered. Shaw led his men into battle, shouting "Forward, Fifty-Fourth, forward!" There on horseback among them, in his very habit as he lived, sits the blue-eyed child of fortune, upon whose happy youth every divinity had smiled. Boykins Millalsois noted for being the last battle in South Carolina, and one of the final battles of the war. In the aftermath of Fort Wagner, the wounded of the regiment were sent back to Beaufort, where they were treated in two of the antebellum mansions the US Army had converted into hospitals. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment - National Gallery of Art During the retreat, the unit was suddenly ordered to counter-march back to Ten Mile station. It took forty-two hours to pull the train that distance. The 54thmarched through Boston with a crowd of twenty thousandcheering them on to their departure. The Fordham University Department of Military Science is actively supporting this venture. [49] A plaster of this monument was also displayed in the entryway to the U.S. paintings galleries at the Paris Universal Exposition of 1900. The 54th Regiment came into existence with the stroke of a pen. This proposal was broadly opposed. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Every purchase supports the mission. "The splendid 54th is cut to pieces," wrote Lewis Douglass, son of the famous abolitionist and a soldier in the 54th. He did not receive it because there was an oversight in the papers. Benny White cofounded and led the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, Company A, in reenactments of Civil War battles and events. He said that the use of Black soldiers would be the "heavyest blow yet given the Confederacy" and that by "arming the negro we have added a powerful allyThey will make good soldiers and taking them from the enemy weakens him in the same proportion [that] they strengthen us. [4] While at St. John's, he studied Latin, Greek, French, and Spanish, and practiced playing the violin, which he had begun as a young boy. Among the fatalities were Gen. George Crockett Strong, mortally wounded; Col. Haldimand S. Putnam shot and killed instantly; and Col. John Lyman Chatfield, mortally wounded. The 55th Massachusetts was begun with the next round of new recruits.[25]. They and other leaders believed that if the 54th Regiment could succeed in battle, charges of racial inferiority, so frequent at the time, would be undermined decisively.
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