The Legacy of the 54th Regiment

During the Civil War traditional thoughts were perceived that black soldiers wouldn't fight. The legacy of the Fifty-fourth regiment was referred as a noble experiment. For the men of the Massachusetts Fifty-fourth regiment infantry, it was a chance to contradict their white disbelievers. Their chance came when the Fifty-fourth led the Union courageously against the Confederate stronghold in South Carolina. The Fifty-fourth won the respect due to being a true fighting unit. In early 1863, Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrew appointed Colonel Robert Shaw, a twenty-five year old prominent abolitionist from Boston to command and organized the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts infantry. Shaw came from a wealthy and socially well-known family. His parents joined the American Anti-slavery Society in 1838 and a short time after helped runaway slaves gain their freedom. Shaw did not possess the strong anti-slavery trade of his parents however; he was very dedicated and loyal to the Union. …