A Brave Black Regiment

Bantam's Eyewitness to the Civil War series continues with this basis for the film Glory. They were the 54th Massachusetts, the first black regiment raised in the North, and Luis Emilio was their idealistic young captain. Emilio chronicles the group's participation in the Civil War. Step-back photo battle scene.

History of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1863-1865 is a compelling account of the role of African American soldiers in the Civil War. Written by Luis F. Emilio, a veteran of the regiment, this book provides a firsthand perspective on the challenges faced by African American soldiers during the war. This book is an important contribution to the history of the Civil War and the ongoing struggle for social justice and equality in America. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Following huge losses of forces at Fredericksburg and Vicksburg, President Abraham Lincoln authorized the recruitment of black soldiers to the Union army. Beginning recruitment in 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was to become the first black regiment recruited from free men north of the Mississippi River. It was decided that the black regiment would have white officers and the Governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrews, appointed abolitionist Robert Gould Shaw as colonel. Among the white officers appointed was Luis F. Emilio, whose first-hand history of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment is an important addition to African-American history. In May 1863, the 54th Regiment left the north and traveled to South Carolina where they began their task of not only defending the Union but proving to many factions of society their equality. Being one of the first black regiments was not easy and the 54th doubtlessly faced an even more difficult struggle than the majority of Union soldiers. In spite of pay disputes, menial work exercises and a greater threat of danger from the South, the 54th Regiment proved itself to be more than equal to the white Union regiments. The regiment is perhaps best known for its part of the Second Battle of Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. Despite suffering huge losses of life, including that of Colonel Shaw, the regiment showed itself to be unceasingly brave in the face of defeat and was commended for its part in the battle. Including many primary sources, a detailed account of the regiment's tactics in battle and an extensive appendix of soldiers in the 54th, Captain Emilio's A Brave Black Regiment is an invaluable resource for those interested in the role of African-Americans in the Civil War. Luis Fenellosa Emilio, born December 22, 1844, served in the United Staes army from 1861, aged just 16. He joined the 54th Massachusetts Regiment in 1863 and became Captain of Company E, becoming Acting Commander for the regiment following huge losses at Fort Wagner. He retired from the U.S. army in 1865 and first published A Brave Black Regiment in 1891. He died in New York in 1918.

Story of Shaw's life and his heroic command of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first Negro unit raised in the North in the Civil War.

In January 1863 the Union War Department authorized the creation of "a special corps" composed of "persons of African descent"-the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Col. Robert Gould Shaw.Hundreds of free blacks enlisted. When the 54th Massachusetts spearheaded the suicidal charge against Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863, the regiment was showered with acclaim, but that defining event was not its only illustrious moment.After the devastating repulse at Fort Wagner left all of the unit's ranking officers dead or wounded, Captain Luis Fenellosa Emilio (1844-1918) emerged as the 54th's acting commander.

The story of an all-black regiment's assault on the impregnable Fort Wagner in the Civil War, an act of extraordinary courage that changed hearts and minds in America for ever THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. 1863. On a cold beach in South Carolina, the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment are marching into battle. Their mission: to capture the impregnable Fort Wagner. The odds are heavily against them, and the stakes could not be higher - they are one of the first all-Black regiments in the Union Army, and all of America is watching them. Among their ranks is William Harvey Carney. A former enslaved man who escaped to the North, he knows what a precious thing freedom is. So when the bugle sounds, and the regimental flag is hoisted high, William charges towards the guns.

On July 18, 1863, the African American soldiers of the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Infantry led a courageous but ill-fated charge on Fort Wagner, a key bastion guarding Charleston harbor. Confederate defenders killed, wounded, or made prisoners of half the regiment. Only hours later, the body of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the regiment's white commander, was thrown into a mass grave with those of twenty of his men. The assault promoted the young colonel to the higher rank of martyr, ranking him alongside the legendary John Brown in the eyes of abolitionists. In this biography of Shaw, Russell Duncan presents a poignant portrait of an average young soldier, just past the cusp of manhood and still struggling against his mother's indomitable will, thrust unexpectedly into the national limelight. Using information gleaned from Shaw's letters home before and during the war, Duncan tells the story of the rebellious son of wealthy Boston abolitionists who never fully reconciled his own racial prejudices yet went on to head the North's vanguard black regiment and give his life to the cause of freedom. This thorough biography looks at Shaw from historical and psychological viewpoints and examines the complex family relationships that so strongly influenced him.