Anyone who has ever watched the 1989 epic Glory is familiar with the heroic feats of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. And if, for some reason, you are reading this but haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend that you do.
The “54th,” as they were known, was the brainchild of Massachusetts Gov. John Andrew. The regiment formed due to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, issued on Jan. 1, 1863. A month later, the military unit began recruiting. Andrew arranged for Robert Gould Shaw to be the unit’s commanding officer, and he was given the regiment’s colonelcy. Recruitment efforts were viral, with over 1,000 black men enlisting their services. This included the two sons of noted abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Additionally, nearly a quarter of all volunteers for the 54th came from slave states.
Shaw was regarded as a tough commander with a reputation as a disciplinarian with his troops, according to various historical accounts. The 54th trained at Camp Meigs in Readville, Massachusetts — a small town just outside of Boston. Under Shaw’s leadership and constant drilling, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment became widely known as one of the “best drilled and trained regiments of the U.S. Army.”
Still, challenges remained. Black soldiers were initially only to be used for manual labor purposes. They were also given less pay than their white counterparts, despite an initial promise of equal pay. The troops of the 54th rejected this compensatory discrimination and protested by not accepting any compensation until they were paid equally. Col. Robert Gould Shaw joined his troops in not accepting pay until the “inequity was rectified.”
During this time, Shaw also fought for his troops to be used in combat, but many military leaders were reluctant to approve such a measure. He relentlessly wrote letters to government officials and persisted until the 54th was authorized to be used in battle. Shaw declared in a letter to his father, “The skeptics need only come out here now to be converted.”
After numerous letters to his father, Gov. Andrew, and Union Gen. George Strong, Shaw had obtained approval for the 54th’s first combat mission. Their first action came on July 16, 1863, at the Battle of Grimball’s Landing in James Island, South Carolina. It played an integral role in the Operations Against the Defenses of Charleston campaign.
The 54th was praised for their efforts in the battle. In a report on their performance in battle, Union Brig. Gen. Alfred H. Terry commended the 54th for their “steadiness and soldierly conduct.” Still reeling from the high of their first combat experience, Shaw would volunteer the 54th to lead the assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. It would be his last major decision as the 54th’s commanding officer.
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Under constant bombardment and facing a monumental task, the 54th could not take Fort Wagner. The unit sustained significant losses, with over 40% of the regiment killed in battle, including Shaw. The 54th’s charge on Fort Wagner became one of the war’s most heralded moments. The regiment was commended and honored for their bravery and sacrifice.
The legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment lives on to this day. They were immortalized in poems, movies, and art. They were not the first black regiment in the Civil War but arguably the most famous. In honor of their courage, a bronze sculpture known as the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial was dedicated as a monument in 1897. It still stands today in Boston Common.