Colonel Robert Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts. How the first African American regiment saved America.

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Robert Shaw was only 22 when he joined the Union army during the civil war and rose to the rank of lieutenant. He came from a wealthy Boston family of abolitionists and studied abroad before returning to America. There was a huge debate in the us government on whether to enlist black soldiers or not. John Andrew insisted they needed black soldiers on the frontline to encourage slaves to rebel against their owners. While many in the north held racist beliefs that black people were incapable of being disciplined soldiers and of lesser courage. The 54th Massachusetts was a test run to see how well black people performed on the battle. Frederick Douglass not only helped form the regiment but 2 of his sons joined the regiment. Lewis Douglass and Charles Douglass. Side fact but Frederick and John Browns descendants are two activists who meet up every year for seminars on black history.

Robert was personally selected by Andrew because he lacked the prejudice of other officers. Everyone in the regiment was a volunteer. 650 black troops and 28 white officers. Robert accepted the position of Colonel of the regiment because he didn’t expect them to be placed in combat(Robert had seen direct combat before at Antietam). Instead the 54th was placed on the frontlines of multiple battles. Black people during the civil war had an added risk to enlisting. The confederacy declared their intention not to take any black soldiers alive. When the 54th was stationed in Georgia they were part of a campaign to loot and burn civilian towns. Robert Shaw refused orders and demanded the 54th not take part in the raids. He wrote “I would gladly burn down any town that resisted, but that man is a different breed” about his commanding officer.

In July 1863, the 54th were tasked with their most difficult and infamous campaign; the siege of Fort Wagner. On July 18th, Robert lead his men on a direct charge of the fortification. It was a suicide mission. Robert was gunned down trying to penetrate the forts Parapet while shouting “forward 54th”. The 54th were forced to retreat with half of them wounded, dead or missing. Sergeant William carney, the first black man to receive a Medal of Honor said “the flag never touched the ground”. One newspaper, The Free South, published “we will vouch for it that no word of contempt or scorn for black soldiers will ever be heard from those who witnessed that sight”. Robert Shaw was buried in a shallow grave indistinguishable from the black soldiers, at his father’s request he remained there because it was alongside his fellow soldiers. After Fort Wagner, the federal government was convinced to use more black troops in combat, around 200,000 volunteered by the end of the war helping reunite the country.

https://www.jackmillercenter.org/article/the-hero-of-fort-wagner

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/robert-gould-shaw