Historical Profile: The Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial

America was a divided nation during the Civil War. From 1861-1865, the North (Union) and the South (Confederacy) battled in the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history. The Massachusetts 54th Infantry Regiment participated in the Civil War. The 54th was a unique regiment because it was the first regiment composed of African American soldiers to fight for the Union. In total, over 186,000 African American soldiers fought in the Civil War. 

The Massachusetts 54th Regiment distinguished itself during a battle on July 18, 1863. On this day the Regiment led an assault on Fort Wagner – a Confederate base in Charleston, South Carolina. As a result of the battle, the Regiment lost 63 soldiers. One of the soldiers who died was the Regiment’s white commanding officer -Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. Several members of the regiment fought valiantly in the battle of Fort Wagner. Despite being wounded three times, Sgt. William Carney, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, saved the American flag from being captured by Confederate forces. For his courageous efforts Carney was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was the first African American recipient of the prestigious award. A total of 16 African American Union Army soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

Other members of the 54th Regiment included 1st Sgt. James W. Bush, Milo J. Freeland, Henry A. Monroe, Miles Moore – a drummer, Isaiah Spriggs, Sgt. Major John H. Wilson – a painter from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lt. William Lambert Whitney, Jr. – a white officer. Similarly to Miles Moore, Henry A. Monroe was also a drummer. Monroe would eventually become the pastor of St. Mark’s Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. There were thirty enlisted men in the Regiment with the surname Smith. 

On May 31, 1897, a monument was dedicated to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment. The Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial, which is a bronze bas-relief, is located on the Boston Common, directly across the street from the Massachusetts State House. The creator of the monument was the famed sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It took Saint-Gaudens fourteen years to sculpt the monument. The Memorial depicts the Regiment marching in Boston heading south on May 28, 1863. The soldiers are carrying muskets and equipment on their backs. There is a drummer leading the men while Robert Gould Shaw is in the middle of the scene riding a horse. Above the soldiers there is an angel flying in the air, perhaps as a symbolic source of hope for the men of the 54th Regiment. The legacy of the 54th Regiment was captured in the 1989 movie Glory which starred Andre Braugher, Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, and Denzel Washington.