On this date in History ... May 28, 1863:
The
54th Massachusetts, the most famous African-American regiment of the Civil War, departs
for combat.
Five days earlier, the
government had established the Bureau of Colored Troops. Most blacks who joined
the military were freed or escaped slaves. However, 90% of the Colored Troops
officers were white. That day in 1863, the 54th had over 1000 black
soldiers and 37 white officers, in spite of the Confederate’s threat that every
captured black Union soldier would be sold into slavery and every white officer
would be executed.
 |
Col. Robert Shaw
|
Colonel Robert Shaw,
who was only 25 and had dropped out of Harvard to join the military, led the 54th
and chose white officers with abolitionist views. Shaw was killed in the battle at Fort Wagner,
SC, which was depicted in the movie “Glory”.
This battle was also where we find the story of William Harvey Carney, a member of the 54th and the first black American who earned the Medal of Honor (see my blog
posting of May 23).
On this date in History ... May 23, 1900:
Sergeant William Harvey
Carney is belatedly awarded the Congressional Medal of
Honor for his bravery on July 18, 1863, while fighting for the Union cause as a
member of the 54th Massachusetts Colored, becoming the
first African American to perform actions that merited the Medal of Honor, the
nation’s highest military honor. Here is his amazing story (which gives me
chills every time I tell it!!!):
“The Civil War was almost two years old when President
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. With
that historic step, for the first time, black American's were encouraged to
enlist in the Union Army. Among the enlistees was a young man named William Carney.”
At the battle at Ft.
Wagner, in South Carolina (this battle was depicted in the movie "Glory" (in this clip) ), the
Sergeant. carrying the flag was shot. Carney grabbed the flag before it could
hit the ground. With a gunshot wound in his leg, he carried the flag & led
the advance to the Confederate fort, gaining entrance & planting the Stars
and Stripes. Too late, he realized he was alone. Everyone else in his platoon
had been killed or wounded. As he was approached by Confederate soldiers, rather
than drop the flag and flee for his life, he wrapped the flag tight and ran
down an embankment. In chest high water, with the flag held high, he was shot
in the chest, the arm and the leg. He continued to struggle forward even when
another bullet grazed his head.
“From the safety of the distance to which they had
retreated, what remained of the valiant warriors of the 54th Massachusetts
Colored Infantry watched the brave Sergeant struggle towards safety. A
retreating member of the 100th New York passed Carney and, seeing the severity
of his wounds said, "Let me carry that flag for you." With
indomitable courage Sergeant Carney replied, "No one but a member of
the 54th should carry the colors." Despite the sounds of rifle and
cannon fire that followed him, Carney struggled on. Another enemy bullet found
its mark, grazing his head, but Carney wouldn't quit.”
When he reached safety,
collapsing from his wounds, he said, “Boys, I only did my duty. The flag never touched the ground.”
And with those words, William Harvey Carney, who had been born a slave, whose father had purchased his freedom when he was 15 years old, who had joined the Union Army shortly after President Lincoln signed the bill that allowed him to join, who wanted to fight to preserve the country that had enslaved him, William Harvey Carney, that day, became the first African American to earn the country's highest honor, the Medal of Honor.
Sources for this story include: http://www.homeofheroes.com/hallofheroes/1st_floor/flag/1bfa_hist5carney.html
http://www.cmohfoundation.org/documents/myths-and-little-known-facts/
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/forgotten-civil-war-hero-honored
http://www.historynet.com/william-h-carney-54th-massachusetts-soldier-and-first-black-us-medal-of-honor-recipient.htm
