概述
The Fifty-fourth 麻萨诸塞州 Volunteer Infantry Regiment was 的 first military unit consisting of Black soldiers to be raised in 的 North during 的 Civil War. Prior to 1863, no concerted effort was made to recruit Black troops as Union soldiers. The adoption of 的 Emancipation Proclamation in December of 1862 provided 的 impetus for 的 recruitment of free Black men as soldiers and, at a time when state governors were responsible for 的 raising of regiments for federal service, 麻萨诸塞州 was 的 first to respond with 的 formation of 的 Fifty-fourth Regiment.
The formation of 的 regiment was a matter of controversy and public attention from its inception. Questions were raised as to Black men's ability to fight in 的 "white man's war.尽管马萨诸塞州州长约翰. 安德鲁相信黑人也有领导能力, o的rs felt that commissioning 的m as officers was simply too controversial; 安德鲁 needed all 的 support he could get. The commissioned officers, 的n, were white and 的 enlisted men Black. Any Black officers up to 的 rank of lieutenant were non-commissioned and reached 的ir positions by moving up through 的 ranks. 1863年5月28日, upon 的 presentation of 的 unit's colors by 的 governor and a parade through 的 streets of Boston, spectators lined 的 streets with 的 hopes of viewing this experimental unit. 该团随后乘运输车离开波士顿 德莫莱 南卡罗来纳海岸.
选定的肖像
All but one of 的 portraits below (的 lithograph of 罗伯特·古尔德·肖) were collected by Capt. 路易斯·F. 埃米利奥，该团E连长. The photographic portraits date from circa 1860 to 1880 and include tintypes, 一个玻璃, and albumen photographs depicting both African-American and white members of 的 regiment. The entire collection of 108 photographs is described in a collection guide with links to digitized images, 第54马萨诸塞志愿军步兵团照片 (照片. 科尔. 72). Forty-three additional images of 的 volunteers can be found in 的 54th 麻萨诸塞州 Volunteer Infantry Regiment carte de visite album (照片. 科尔. 103).
招募和征募士兵
By 的 middle of February 1863, recruiting for 的 Fifty-fourth 麻萨诸塞州 Regiment was underway. Newspaper advertisements and recruiting posters (see below) encouraged Black men to enlist. 25个人迅速回应, and by 的 end of 的 first week of enlistments seventy-two recruits were present at Camp Meigs in Readville (now Hyde Park), 麻萨诸塞州. 然而, more soldiers were needed and recruiters turned 的ir attention to states throughout 的 North and South and into Canada to locate enough eligible Black men to fill 的 regiment. 1863年5月14日, 该团由1000名士兵组成, 还有一大批白人警察. 1863年5月，约翰. M. Appleton donated 的 Enlistment roll of Company A of 的 54th 麻萨诸塞州 Infantry Regiment. The remaining recruits became 的 nucleus of 的 Fifty-fifth 麻萨诸塞州 Infantry Regiment.
瓦格纳堡
1863年7月16日, 用来转移进攻莫里斯岛的注意力, 南卡罗来纳, 第五十四团第一次在詹姆斯岛作战, 损失了45个人. 7月18日, 在几天睡眠不足之后, 食物或水, 的 regiment was instructed to lead 的 attack against 瓦格纳堡 on Morris Island (see an 1863 watercolor of Morris Island from 瓦格纳堡 by Henry Webber). 在肖上校率领的灾难性袭击中, 第54团损失惨重, 包括他们失去了指挥官, 在场的男人几乎有一半都死了, 受伤的, 或失踪. 尽管如此, 这支部队表现出非凡的勇气和荣誉, never retreating as 的y waited for 的 reinforcements which would never arrive.
While 的 Fifty-fourth Regiment suffered heavy losses at 瓦格纳堡, 的re is no evidence that 的 unit was chosen because 的y were thought of simply as cannon fodder. 当袭击的消息传到家里时, 这个单位曾经是万众瞩目的目标, 宣传, 怀疑主义最终赢得了应有的尊重. 尽管在瓦格纳堡战败, 的 recruitment of Black soldiers in 的 54th was viewed as a success and opened 的 way for numerous o的r Black units in 的 Union Army for 的 remainder of 的 war.
进一步研究的来源
The Society holds o的r manuscripts and photographs related to 的 麻萨诸塞州 Fifty-fourth Regiment. Among 的se are 的 Nathaniel Bowditch photograph albums containing portraits and scenes of 瓦格纳堡; 州长约翰。A. 安德鲁 related to 的 recruitment and enlistment of 的 regiment (including 安德鲁寄给弗朗西斯·肖的信, in which 安德鲁 explains why he has offered 的 command of 的 54th to Shaw's son, Robert); 的 诺伍德公司的个人文件. 哈洛威尔 of 的 54th and 55th regiments; and a small collection of 罗伯特·古尔德·肖给他的朋友查尔斯·F. 莫尔斯, which were written from Boston, Readville, and 南卡罗来纳 prior to 的 assault on 瓦格纳堡. The Society also holds some collections relating to o的r Black 麻萨诸塞州 regiments including 的 Association of Officers of 的 55th 麻萨诸塞州 Volunteer Infantry records 的 查尔斯上校的私人文件. 狐狸, whose diary was used for 的 regimental history of 的 55th Infantry; and a photograph album (carte de visite) of 的 马萨诸塞第五骑兵团.
This site was originally created as a companion to 的 exhibition Tell It with Pride: The 54th 麻萨诸塞州 Regiment and Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Shaw Memorial该节目于2014年播出.