Massachusetts Historical Society | 54th Regiment

Overview

• First military unit with Black soldiers raised in the North during the Civil War.
• No prior efforts to recruit Black troops for Union before 1863.
• Emancipation Proclamation (Dec 1862) triggered recruitment of Black soldiers.
• Massachusetts first state to form the Fifty-fourth Regiment.
• Controversy over Black men's capability to fight in the war.
• All commissioned officers were white; Black men served as enlisted men.
• On 28 May 1863, the unit paraded in Boston and then departed for South Carolina.

Selected Portraits

• Collected by Capt. Luis F. Emilio, commander of Company E.
• Collection includes tintypes, ambrotypes, and albumen photos of both Black and white members.
• Digitized images available in the collection guides.
• Few notable portraits:
  • Private Charles H. Arnum
  • Private Abraham F. Brown
  • Sergeant James W. Bush
  • Musicians like Alexander H. Johnson and Henry A. Monroe

Recruiting and Enlisting Soldiers

• Recruiting began in February 1863 with newspaper adverts and posters.
• Initial recruiting efforts were local; later expanded to other states and Canada.
• By May 14, 1863, the regiment had 1000 enlisted men and white officers.
• The remaining recruits formed the nucleus of the Fifty-fifth Regiment.

Fort Wagner

• First action on July 16, 1863, on James Island resulting in 45 casualties.
• On July 18, 1863, led an attack on Fort Wagner resulting in heavy losses.
• Colonel Shaw killed; nearly half the men were casualties.
• Despite losses, the regiment's bravery was recognized and respected.

Sources for Further Research

• Manuscripts and photographs available at the Society.
• Includes albums, personal papers, and letters related to the regiment.
• Other collections on Black Massachusetts regiments also available.

Exhibition

• The site was a companion to the 2014 exhibition "Tell It with Pride: The 54th Massachusetts Regiment and Augustus Saint-Gaudens Shaw Memorial."