A Story About The 54Th Massachusettes
...had been fighting and fighting hard to get freedom for the African American slaves. The president of the United States at the time, Abraham Lincoln, received the blunt end of most of the protesting done by these abolitionists. President Lincoln finally gave in to the pressures and allowed black soldiers into the Union forces in 1863. Many black regiments were formed over a period of time but the 54th Massachusetts was the first and the most famous. Robert Gould Shaw was a young white officer that volunteered to take command of the regiment. Shaw took his men to Readville (present day Hyde Park in Boston) to train them for the war ahead of them. The 54th Regiment of Massachusetts was willing to fight hard for their freedom and respect, causing an impact on the way black soldiers were viewed.
After being well trained, Shaw marched his men to Charleston, South Carolina where they would receive their first real life experience in the Civil War on Sol Legare Island. Once there, the 54th joined General Quincy Gilmore's Union forces already ready to attack the Confederate forces waiting for them. On July 10, 1863 Union forces overran Confederate defenses on three fourths of Morris Island until Battery Wagner, where a well laid defense stopped them (William). General Gilmore had just received word that there were Union victories in Vicksburg and Gettysburg, he wanted that third Union victory. General Gilmore called in more troops including the 54th that set up a line of defense to oppose the one set up by General Hagood and the Confederate forces on the other side of James island. General Hagood planned to drive the Union gunboats down the river, cut off the federal retreat, and trap federal forces against the water, by first entering through Sol Legare Island then attacking the rest of the Union troops on James island (William). Hagood was surprised when he met three...
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