NARRATOR:
This memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens celebrates an extraordinarily courageous – and groundbreaking - group of men. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was one of the first military units of Black soldiers formed in the North in the Civil War. Among their ranks was Sergeant William H. Carney.
CARL CRUZ:
My name is Carl Cruz and I am the great-great-grandnephew of Sgt William H. Carney.
NARRATOR:
Sergeant Carney, a 22-year-old seaman from New Bedford, MA, enlisted in the 54th Regiment in February of 1863.
CARL CRUZ:
It was one way of him assuring that men of color, men who had been enslaved, would be able to have freedom.
NARRATOR:
The memorial shows the soldiers marching, with Colonel Robert Gould Shaw on horseback. On the night of July 18th, 1863, the 54th stormed Fort Wagner, near Charleston, South Carolina. The battle was fierce and the 54th suffered significant casualties. Amidst the fighting, the color bearer was wounded and could no longer hold the flag. Immediately, Carney picked up the American flag, and later describing what he had witnessed, recounted:
CARL CRUZ:
In less than 20 minutes, I found myself alone, struggling upon the ramparts, while all around me were the dead and wounded, lying one upon another.
NARRATOR:
Sergeant Carney, badly injured himself, eventually reached safety. He told his comrades:
CARL CRUZ:
'I only did my duty. Boys, the old flag never touched the ground.' And that became a rallying point for more Blacks to join the Union forces, which eventually helped the Union forces to win the Civil War. It certainly influenced President Abraham Lincoln.
NARRATOR:
Although the 54th Regiment lost the battle, the African American soldiers were hailed for their bravery and became an inspiration for many.
CARL CRUZ:
When I think of the men of the 54th, I really understand what Black Lives Matter means. To also fight for this nation's history, for this nation's freedoms - something we still are doing today. Carney and those men of the 54th, lived that, did that, died for that. So, I think they are an example for us. And hopefully, by telling these stories we will at some point truly overcome.
