He was a white colonel leading a Black regiment aginst the forces of fort Wagner South Carolina. Instead of staying back as was customary, he chose to lead his regiment. He was killed and buried in the same grave as were his fellow 54th Mass. soldiers. His body stripped and thrown into the burial trench was thought by the Confederates to be some kind of disgrace for him.
This particular event also laid to rest any negative thought, that the negro regiments could fight and fight well.
He was the Colonel of the 54th Massachusetts regiment, which was the first colored (or "black") soldiers regiment. The evening of his death, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw lead the 54th Massachusetts regiment to attack Fort Wagner. Even just on the way to the fort, many of his men died by cannon and long gunfire. When the night came, they charged Wagner with growing confidence. They charged up the sand walls of the fort, and eventually entered it with a hard battle. He raised his saber high and waved it for all his troops to see. He shouted for them to charge, but, unfortunately, when Robert reached the top, he was struck by a bullet and killed.
__________________ Mark W. Swarthout, Esq.
GGGrandson of Pvt. John W. Swarthout, Company E, 148th NYVI - Wounded at Cold Harbor.
GGGGrandson of Pvt. Henry Stephens, Company D, 137th NYVI - Wounded at Culp's Hill, Gettysburg.
Robert G. Shaw was in command of the 54th Mass. Infantry. What made his death newsworthy was the fact that when he was KIA at Ft. Wagner, and the Confederates stripped him and buried him in a mass grave with the black troops under his command. Thinking it would dishonor the Colonel by burying him with his fallen troops was why the Confederates buried him in this manner. Shaw's parents thought it to be very honorable for him to be buried along side of those who fought bravely along with him and were not intimidated by their actions.
He was the Col. of the 54th Mass. Infantry Regiment, a white commander of a black unit. His nickname was "The blue eyed child of fortune". He was killed in the assault on Battery Wagner, S.C. in 1863 and buried in a mass grave with his black soldiers. This made him a martyr to the northern (New England) abolitionists.
Was the Colonel of the 54th Massachusetts. The first black regiment from a Northern state. When he was killed at the battle of Battery Wagner he was buried with his men.
Colonel Robert Shaw volunteered to command a pioneer outfit of black volunteer infantry soldiers to fight for the Union Cause. They federalized and given the designator 54th Massachusetts Infantry.
He died on the ramparts of Battery Wagner which was an assault his unit had made on the 18th of July 1863 and all the world was watching what these black soldiers were going to do once led into combat.
Battery Wagner happened to be their second action, but the nature of the assault and the troops he was leading at the time of his death was incredibly news worthy.
Robert Gould Shaw was the son of prominent and wealthy abolitionists in Boston, MA. Well educated, he became the Colonel of the all-black 54th Massachusetts Infantry in 1863.
In July of 1863, the 54th attacked Fort Wagner in a suicidal charge that left half of the regiment as casualties. Amoung the dead were Shaw, who was buried in a mass grave with his men.
While it was customary to have officers' remains returned to their home, Shaw's father saw to it that he remained buried with his men. He was hailed as a martyr in the eyes of abolitionists.
Here is the answer to yesterday's question: Who was Union Colonel Robert G. Shaw and why was his death news worthy? as posted by RaggedRebel: He was the Col. of the 54th Mass. Infantry Regiment, a white commander of a black unit. His nickname was "The blue eyed child of fortune". He was killed in the assault on Battery Wagner, S.C. in 1863 and buried in a mass grave with his black soldiers. This made him a martyr to the northern (New England) abolitionists.
What was a "sap-roller"?
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