Military History Paper

54th Massachusetts Regiment and the Battle at Fort Wagner, SC

MSG Paulette August-Spicer

SGM Steven Kern

Group Room LOS

16 December 2005 MILITARY HISTORY PAPER 54TH MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENT AND THE BATTLE AT FORT WAGNER, SC: 18 JULY 1863 MSG PAULETTE J. AUGUST-SPICER

About a month after the Civil War began Blacks were willing to join the and fight

for this great nation. Frederick Douglas, who was a Black abolitionist, wrote a letter to President

Lincoln asking to let Blacks serve. His request was rejected because war in 1861 was not about

slavery. President Lincoln and his Secretary of War had no use for Black troops. President

Lincoln could not afford to make the war a crusade against slavery because it would have sent

the states like Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and Delaware into the Confederacy. President

Lincoln also knew that accepting Black troops would have undermined morale in the North.

Many Whites believed that Blacks were incapable of serving in the military. They thought that

Blacks could not learn military discipline; close order drills or even how to care for weapons.

Other concerns were that Whites thought Blacks would break ranks under fire. Others felt if you gave Blacks a uniform and a gun it, would pose a threat to White supremacy and how could you deny him equal citizenship. Blacks request to serve in the Union Army were rejected for approximately two years even though unofficially many Blacks served in separate units. In

Kansas, Blacks served under Brigadier General James Lane. His units were mostly integrated and they took any Soldier that volunteered. They knew first hand that Blacks would make great

Soldiers.

In July of 1862, General David Hunter organized former slaves into the 1 South Carolina

Volunteer Regiment, but this was quickly disbanded when President Lincoln refused to approve

General Hunter's actions. In July of 1862 Congress passed the Militia Act, which authorized the enlistment of Blacks Soldiers and significantly, the emancipation of families of any slave leaving the Confederate masters and enlisting in the Army. By the time the Militia Act took effect, 1) President Lincoln had written but nit yet announced the Emancipation Proclamation. On January / 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and the War for the Union

became the war for liberty. The War Department now officially endorsf oPosal for the

organization ofBlack units in the north.

Governor Andrew from Massachusetts, a well-known abolitionist made Massachusetts the ~ first state to act on the proclamation. Governor Andrew! wanted a model for the world to se ~

personally sought out Colonel Robert Shaw to lead the Black troops. Governor Andrew knew

that Colonel Shaw was from a prominent family in Boston and had strong abolitionist parents

and battle experience. He knew that Colonel Shaw would lead Black Soldiers on the battlefield

with dignity and honor.

Recruitment of the 54th began in Boston on February 9 and February 21, 1863. Barracks were

readied at Camp Meigs in Readville, outside of Boston. Massachusetts had only a small Black

community, so recruits were enlisted from other states including New York, Indiana, Missouri,

Ohio, and even Canada. These were young men who wanted to take up arms against their

former oppressors. They were common men, laborers, farmers, waiters, blacksmiths, and

carpenters. Frederick Douglas' sons, Lewis and Charles Douglas, also joined the 54th

Massachusetts Regiment. The 54th was not just the Massachusetts Regiment; it was America's

Black regiment.

The Confederacy did not like the news of former slaves joining the Union Army they issued laws to deter Blacks from serving. They stated that any Blacks that were caught during battle would be sold into slavery and any White officers commanding the Black troops would be executed. This statement did not seem to hinder recruitment efforts. By April of 1863, the 54th

2 Massachusetts Regiment companies were complete and Black recruits kept arriving at a rate of about 100 per week.

In July of 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment was in South Carolina, stationed on the Sea

Island near Charleston. Its first assignment was uneventful. They made a few raids against the mainland including an attack on Darien, Georgia. Colonel Shaw was displeased at his assignments and asked that his unit be used to show the importance of Blacks participating in active war. On July 8, the 54th Regiment was transferred to James Island near Charleston, South

Carolina. From July 10 to 16, the 54th Regiment was part of an assault of James Island in the

Charleston Harbor. On the night of July 16 1863, forces under the Confederate General T.

Beauregard attacked the 54th. The attacked was a surprise intended to break the Union line. All that stood in the way of a Confederate victory was the untested 54th. If the 54th had given way, a regiment of Connecticut Soldiers would have been caught in an indefensible position.

Unprepared for battle, the outnumbered 54th held, slowly giving ground but neither panicking nor retreating. The Confederate attack failed, fourteen men of the 54th were killed and another thirteen were captured. The commanding General Alfred H. Terry sent a message to Colonel

Shaw that he was exceedingly pleased with the 54th Regiment.

After the battle, the 54th Regiment spent the next 48 hours being evacuated from James Island to where at the northern end stood Fort Wagner. On the 17 of July 1863, the 54th spent all day waiting for transportation with little food and water. They arrived late afternoon on the 18 of July, during this interim the Union leadership decided to storm Fort Wagner, which guarded Charleston Harbor. The assault was} poorly planneq -assautt. The Commanding

General asked Colonel Shaw ifhe and his troops were able to lead the assault. Colonel Shaw said yes even though his men had not slept and had little food in the past two days and nights.

3 They were tried and hungry. Only two days prior they had fought in their first real battle. Now,

they were asked to lead a charge against a fortified position. The officers and men of the 54th

Regiment wanted to fight. At twilight on July 18, 1863, Colonel Shaw and the 54th lead two

Union brigades through the South Carolina low country and across a sandy beach towards Fort

Wagner. This was the chance for the Soldiers to prove their worth in battle. The honor of Black

America was at stake. The men ofthe 54th sought glory, even ifit meant death. About 600 men

from the 54th led a frontal assault on Fort Wagner. Behind them were the White units from

Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Pennsylvania. They had cross 200 yards

ofopen beach, running through the ocean that was knee deep, while under the murderous fire

from Fort Wagner. The Union command thought Fort Wagner was lightly manned with only

300 troops. In reality Fort Wagner had about 1,700 troops, Colonel Shaw positioned himself at the front of the 54th Regiment. At 3:00 pm they marched to within 100 yards of the battlement.

At 7:45 pm the regiment advanced at close range. As they stormed Fort Wagner they were met with shelling, many fell but the troops kept moving forward up the slope. Colonel Shaw was shot as he approached the top of the parapet. The second wave of troops was late getting started in p ~Planning and in part that the 54'h had reached the fort sooner than anyone had expected.

For about an hour the Stars and Stripes flew over the Confederate stronghold, but the handful of Black Soldiers were overwhelmed and outnumbered and their officers were dead or wounded.

Although Black sergeants provided leadership they could not provide the necessary firepower support to sustain the charge. This battle was a Union disaster. When the battle of Fort Wagner was over about 250 of the 600 men that charged the fort were dead, captured, or missing. The

Confederates buried the Union dead of Fort Wagner. The Blacks of the 54th Massachusetts

4 Regiment were buried in a trench and Colonel Shaw was stripped ofhis uniform and thrown in

with his men. The survivors of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment capture Fort Wagner several

weeks later. They went on serving throughout the remainder ofthe war. The 54th fought at

Olustee, Florida, Honey Hill, South Carolina, and at Boykin's Mills, South Carolina.

Before Fort Wagner, Whites had doubted the courage of Black men. They thought Blacks

would run from battle. Would they cower in fear when facing their former masters? Could they

obey orders? Would they fight? Would they die like men? During the battle, Sergeant William

H. Carney stood out even among the bravest. When a color bearer was shot down, Sergeant

Carney dropped his rifle and grabbed the flag and charged forward, rallying the troops and for a

short time planting the stars and stripes banner on the Rebel fort. When retreat was inevitable

Sergeant Carney carried the flag back to the Union lines. He was shot four times in the arm,

chest, and both legs. Sergeant Carney reported to his commanding officers, the flag never

touched the ground. For his bravery in battle, Sergeant Carney was awarded the Congressional

Medal ofHonor and became the first black man to receive the medal.

In the end, Black Soldiers made up about 10% of the Union Army. Their impact was somewhat greater because they came into the war in the last two years. By helping to secure the Union victory, Blacks secured their freedom. The example of courage and heroism set by the 54th

Massachusetts Regiment paved the way for the enlistment of over 200,000 African Americans in to Union Army and Navy.

By fighting and dying side by side with Whites, Blacks disproved myths ofracism and demonstrated that equality and integration were possible. Yet in the aftermath of the war many of these lessons were quickly forgotten or lost in history.

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