Massachusetts 54th Regiment

Letters from an American vor 2 Monaten

0:00

4:39

Podcast

Letters from an American

895 Episoden

A newsletter about the history behind today's politics.

Geschichte Nachrichten

Podcast aneignen

July 18, 2026

July 18, 1863, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry charged
Fort Wagner, in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, Fort Wagner
covered the southern entrance to the harbor and was key to the US
government taking the city, The 600 soldiers of the 54th made up
one of the first Black regiments for the Union, A Boston
abolitionist, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, led the regiment, The
men of the 54th knew that eyes were upon them to see how well
Black men would fight for their country and they proved that they
were equal to any white soldiers, The assault on the fort killed,
wounded, or lost more than 250 of the 600 in the regiment,
Colonel Shaw was one of the 30 left dead on the field, He was
buried in a mass grave with his men, a burial that the
Confederates had arranged to dishonor him, but which his family
found fitting.

Watch today's recording here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-

Get full, free access to Letters from an American here:
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

You can also find me:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson

Get full access to Letters from an American at
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe