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54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
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Essay on The 54th Massachusetts Regiment
The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was organized in 1863 at the urging of abolitionist governor, John A. Andrew. The outfit was to be made up of free blacks as a means to prove the value of blacks in combat and as a possible path to citizenship. Frederick Douglass, ex-slave and abolitionist, aided in the organization of the regiment. His two sons, Lewis N. Douglass and Charles Douglass were among the recruits.
The white officers for the regiment came from wealthy families involved in the abolitionist movement. These wealth families spared no expense to train and outfit the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw was chosen to command the unit.
When their training was completed, the unit was sent to South Carolina where it saw its first action at James Island. On July 18, 1863 the regiment gallantly led the unsuccessful and bloody assault on Battery Wagner, a fort on Morris Island at Charleston. Nearly half the regiment was killed, captured or wounded. Colonel Shaw was killed in the attack. For his bravery in the attack, Sergeant William H. Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was the first African-American to earn the award. The survivors of the Fifty-fourth participated in the eventual capture of Fort Wagner.
The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment went on to fight at Olustee, Florida; Honey Hill, South Carolina; and at Boykin’s Mills, South Carolina.
The courage of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment helped to dispel any doubts about the fighting ability of black soldiers. The story of the famous Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and the attack on Battery Wagner was recounted in the popular movie Glory.
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