Featured Photograph: William Harvey Carney with the 54th Massachusetts was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery at Fort Wagner, though not until 1900. (Photograph: Public Domain)
July 18
Learn Our History Today: On July 18, 1863, during the Civil War, the African American 54th Massachusetts regiment led an attack on the coastal fortification of Fort Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina. One of the first regiments of African Americans organized during the Civil War, the 54th Massachusetts was authorized to be formed in March 1863 soon after the Emancipation Proclamation made it legal for African Americans to serve in January of the same year. John Andrew, the Governor of Massachusetts and an ardent abolitionist, issued the call for soldiers and they came from as far away as the Caribbean to enlist.
The commander was a young Bostonian named Robert Gould Shaw, who had dropped out of Harvard to serve in the Union Army and had seen action at Antietam. All officers of the regiment were ordered to be white, and 37 others came along with Shaw. The regiment trained near Boston, and they received constant support from the abolitionist community there, including donations of clothing, equipment, and a battle flag. By the time the over 1,000 men of the regiment left Boston in May 1863, they were well trained and in high spirits. The 54th was sent to South Carolina where it participated in several skirmishes and raids on Confederate held towns. On July 18, it would face a much tougher task.
Guarding the approach to Charleston Harbor was the 30-foot-high Fort Wagner, and the 54th was to be the lead regiment in a head on attack on the fortification. The attack commenced at 7:45 p.m. with the 54th Massachusetts and other Union regiments marching 1,200 yards across open sand to the fort.
A torrent of bullets rained down on the Union men as they advanced, and many soldiers fell. The Union troops were able to breach the fort’s defenses at two points, but their numbers were too small to take the fort. There were over 1,500 Union casualties that day, including the 54th’s commander Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. The 54th itself lost nearly half its strength, while the Confederates suffered a mere 222 men lost in the fight. In the remaining two years of the Civil War, the 54th Massachusetts would continue to distinguish itself, fighting valiantly in many more engagements.
Also, on this day in U.S. history:
- 1864: President Abraham Lincoln asks for 500,000 Americans to volunteer for the military
- 1921: MLB’s Babe Ruth achieves 139 home runs and becomes the all-time home run leader.
- 1968: The Intel Corporation is founded in Santa Clara, California.
Note: From Learn our History – This Day in History, July 18th
To learn more about the 54th Massachusetts visit this website: https://allthatsinteresting.com/54th-massachusetts-regiment
