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"Will the slaves fight?" If you're asked if you're asked tell them no.
But if anyone asks you "will a *** fight?"
Tell them yes!
This podcast will be covering in detail, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry.
The 54th Regiment from Massachusetts is the first Northern Regiment,
or military unit made of black soldiers in the United States during the Civil War.
Both the July 1862 Act, which allowed allowed African Americans to serve in the military,
and the Emancipation Proclamation, encouraged African Americans to enlist in the Union Army.
The first official African American Regiments were organized in the United Union controlled area of South Carolina in August 1862.
The 54th was organized and authorized in March 1863 by Massachusetts governor John Andrew
and was commanded by colonel Robert Gould Shaw.
Many viewed this as a positive thing as they believe the military service made the African Americans one step closer to becoming citizens of the United States.
As violent and dangerous as the Civil War already was,
it was especially dangerous for the enlisted African Americans.
These African American troops faced dangers that the White Union soldiers didn't.
If captured by the Confederates, they would be treated as outlaws.
They would either be executed or sold into slavery.
Despite these additional threats and dangers, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment received several enlistments.
The soldiers were recruited by White abolitionists.
The recruiting efforts included posting notices in newspapers such as The Boston Journal,
or holding public rallies in which speakers encouraged free Blacks to enlist for the Regiment.
This recruitment group was later known as the "Black Committee".
Due to more recruits signing up then were needed, the medical exam for the 54th was rigid and thorough.
The recruits were therefore some of the strongest, healthiest set of soldiers fighting for the Union!
Although the 54th left Boston hoping to fight the slave-supporting Confederates,
they began by performing only manual labor tasks such as driving supply waggons, burying the dead, and building railroads.
The 54th are however known in U.S history for their major success later on.
In July 1863, Union forced began to attack Confederate forces in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Confederate forts however were all well defended and the Union wasn't able to break through their hold at first.
Desperate to claim the Charleston Harbor, General Truman Seymour decided to send some 6,000 Union soldiers to attack the Confederates' Fort Wagner.
If the Union could claim the Fort, they would then be able to launch an assault on Fort Sumter.
But capturing Fort Wagner would be no easy task.
The fort had 11 heavy guns mounted in strategic positions
along with smaller wheeled cannons which could be repositioned easily.
Defending the fort were 1300 from the 51st and 31st North Carolina Regiment
as well as several companies of the South Carolina artillery men.
Leading this attack were the 54th Massachusetts Infantry.
The attack on Fort Wagner marked an important point in history as it was the first time African American troops were assigned a key, strategic military role in the Union campaign.
Aware that the frontal assault on the fort would suffer great losses,
the Union Commander assigned the 54th Massachusetts Infantry to lead the attack.
The only possible assault approach was from the east of the fort along a slim stretch of sand.
On the night of July 18, commanding officer Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th penetrated Fort Wagners' defense and reached the top of its walls.
The assault ended September 6th when the Confederate forces fled the fort.
Both sides greatly suffered.
The 54th's Colonel Shaw was killed along with 29 of their men.
15 were captured, 52 were left missing, and another 149 were injured.
This battle resulted in the greatest loss of the 54th during the war as the casualties totalled to 272.
From the military point of view the assault on Fort Wagner was a costly failure.
The blame rested on commanding General Quincy Gilmore
and his field commander Seymour, who had not ordered the usual preparations for such an assault.
No one was sent to check the terrain in advance or dispatch the mines or send skirmishers to weaken the enemy's front line defense.
In addition, the 54th had never practiced storming a fort before.
Despite this however, the assault proved to be a turning point for Black soldiers.
Their victory dismissed any skepticism among Whites about the combat readiness or loyalty of African American soldiers.
The 54th was highly praised for their bravery during the battle.
Their victory helped encourage further enlistments and mobilization of African Americans recruits.
Despite their courageous performance, the Union did not offer the African American troops full equality.
Contrary to recruitment promises, the black soldiers of the 54th were only paid only 10 dollars a month.
For most of the war black soldiers received less than half the wage of white soldiers.
Only after much criticism by black soldiers and their commanding officers, Congress equalized their pay in June 1864.
Many soldiers of the 54th regiment went on to receive awards and recognition for their hard efforts.
Robert Blake, in 1864, was the first African American to receive the medal of honor.
Although his action preceded that of any other black receiver, William Harvey Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor for his action during the Battle of Fort Wagner nearly 37 years later.
He was the 21st African-American to be awarded the medal.
He was awarded the Medal for grabbing the U.S flag as the original flag carrier fell, carrying it to the enemies fort, singing to his fellow soldiers "Boys , the old flag never touched the ground!".
In 1865 Martin Delany became the first, and of a few African Americans to be promoted to major.
Nearly 180,000 African Americans served in the Union Army and more than 32,000 lost their lives.
Some also served in the Navy
In sum, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment played a key role in the Civil War.
They were vital in the fight to end slavery!