MASSACHUSETTS 54TH EXHIBIT
A Look at the Massachusetts 54th All African American Unit
Who Were the Massachusetts 54th
The Massachusetts 54th was the first all African-American group of soldiers around 30-40 years old trying to prove the the world that they can be counted on. Lincoln needed these volunteers because he was in need of getting a win for the south and he wanted to see if they could actually do this to see if he can use blacks in the future. (Picture of Massachusetts 54th)
Training of the Massachusetts 54th
The Massachusetts 54th soldiers didn't know much so they had to learn how to march and how to shoot a gun. Some even had to learn how to count and left from right. These men were trained kinda harsh. They had a commander that pushed them really hard to try to get them trained. They didn't have enough guns to give all the soldiers so some had to train with sticks that they had to imagine as guns. training was harsh but they had to do it to prove them selves to everyone.
Robert Shaw
This is the leader of the massachusetts 54th
Massachusetts 54
This is a picture of the Massachusetts 54th
Cabot forbes
This is a picture of Colonel Shaws best commanding officer
Facing Discrimination
These soldiers had to face a lot of discrimination. When they would walk places they got called some of the worst names in the book and they were not treated equal. If they needed something they normally did not get it because they were colored and the white people would lie about not having it just so they would not have to give it to them.
Their Arrival in South Carolina
When the soldiers got to South Carolina they felt proud. They were proud that they were making a difference in this world to help their people. Them coming to South Carolina was very important because they needed to get a win and capture the Souths capital which was Richmond.
Their 1st Assignment in South Carolina
Their first assignment in South Carolina was find a small town and get supplies for the troops, they thought. The real reason of this assignment was to get some supplies and take what they wanted and then burn down the little town.
No Fighting Just Manual Labor for the massachusetts 54th.
The Massachusetts 54th got the short end of the stick for a while. They were told that they were going to go there and fight to prove what they could do, but what they were really sent there for was to do the jobs the white soldiers did not want to do like cutting down trees to use the lumber.
Their 1st Battle Assignment on James Island
Their first battle was a success. When it started the front line would Knee down and fire. Then after that for a little bit they fired at will and charged. After they were done fighting they had many injured but the guys that were not injured they wanted more.
The Massachusetts 54th Volunteers for the Attack on Fort Wagner.
When they were volunteered they were expected to march towards the fort and weaken them enough to get the other troops to take it over. This was a dangerous mission because it was a suicide mission and they new that most of them would die.
The Attack on Fort Wagner
They started marching towards the fort. They were getting bombarded by cannon fire so they took refuge in the dunes and waited till night fall. Once night came they charged up the hill and they were able to start getting the best of the fort until they got to the main part of the fort and they all died
The Outcome
The outcome of the attack on Fort Wagner was the north lost the battle, but Because of the African Americans in that battle it helped the North win the war. After that battle the north started using colored soldiers and that helped them win it all.