A former slave, William Carney became America’s first black Medal of Honor recipient. Pictured here with the flag he refused to let touch the ground.
American history is full of heroes. Some, like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, are known by most Americans. However, most are relatively anonymous. The quiet patriots who serve without any historical recognition. If more Americans learned the stories of these brave men and women, they would gain a greater appreciation for the type of individuals this country produces.
The United States Armed Services has produced no shortage of heroes since our founding. In 1861, the nation’s highest military award for valor, the Medal of Honor, began to be presented to U.S. service members who distinguished themselves “through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.” This description fits many who fought in the Civil War. Among them was William Carney, who served in the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. While freeing the slaves in Confederate states, the document also decreed, “such persons [that is, African American men] of suitable condition, will be received into the armed services of the United States.” The ability of black Americans to fight in the Civil War had long been a goal of abolitionists who were determined to change the impression that the Union was fighting a “white man’s war.”
In February 1863, the abolitionist governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrew, called for volunteers to form an all-black army regiment. Two weeks later, over one thousand men had volunteered, many from different states, including about one-quarter from slave states and the Caribbean. Robert Gould Shaw, a twenty-five-year-old white officer who was wounded at the bloodiest one-day battle in American history, Antietam, was chosen to lead the regiment.
The monument to the 54th Massachusetts in Boston Common.
After training, the 1,007 soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts and their officers received a rousing send-off from a crowd of well-wishers in Boston Common on May 28, 1863. Some of the leading abolitionists of the time were present, including William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Philips, and Frederick Douglass. Douglass had a personal stake in the event as two of his sons, Charles and Lewis Douglass, were part of the 54th.
The 54th was sent to South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union. However, the regiment’s first action would be in the small town of Darien, Georgia. Over Robert Shaw’s strong objections, the highest-ranking Union officer present, James Montgomery, ordered the 54th to loot and subsequently burn the town.
The events at Darien did not define the 54th Massachusetts. Not by a long shot. On July 16, 1863, the regiment saw its first combat against Confederate forces at the Battle of Grimball’s Landing. It successfully stopped a Confederate advance, allowing other Union soldiers to retreat unharmed. The 54th sustained forty-three casualties.
After a request by Shaw, just two days later, on July 18, the 54th Massachusetts led the attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina, the strategic entry to Charleston Harbor. Just before dusk, about 600 soldiers of the 54th gathered before Fort Wagner, a structure with 30-foot high walls, cannons, and about 1,700 Confederate soldiers. As was common during the Civil War, the Union chose a frontal assault against a fixed position. Union commanders had underestimated the strength of the fort and the men inside. The assault had been preceded by days of bombardment from the Union Navy. This bombardment caused only moderate damage to the fort.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw gave what turned out to be his final command, “Forward, Fifty-fourth!” The men of the regiment moved across a narrow strip of sand to attack. One of these men was William Carney. Born into slavery in Virginia in 1840, his father would eventually buy his son’s freedom after his own escape from slavery through the Underground Railroad. When the opportunity to join the Union cause arose, Carney put his plan to become a minister on hold to sign up. “I could best serve my God serving my country and my oppressed brothers,” Carney said.
Unlike many of his fellow soldiers, Carney survived the events of the day but not without going through a harrowing personal experience. Shortly after advancing against Fort Wagner, the soldiers of the 54th were met with canister, cannon, and musketry fire. Flag bearers during the Civil War became targets of enemy forces not only for the symbolism their flags represented but also because flags told soldiers where they were supposed to be during the confusion of battle.
During the assault on Fort Wagner, Sergeant John Wall carried the Union flag. After Wall was struck by enemy fire, Carney, standing next to him, dropped his rifle and grabbed the flag before it hit the ground. He instantly made himself a target but continued to advance toward the fort’s wall. When he got there, he found himself alone and isolated as the battle raged around him. He sustained a bullet wound through the thigh.
After about thirty minutes, Carney, still holding the flag, saw a group of soldiers approaching him. Believing they were Union soldiers, he rose from his position. He was mistaken. They were Confederate soldiers who took aim. Carney wrapped the flag around its staff and ran through a ditch filled with waste-deep water. He was shot at least two more times, with some accounts saying he was shot up to four times throughout the battle, including a graze to the head.
Returning to the Union lines, he came across a friendly soldier. Seeing his condition, the man offered to carry Carney’s flag. “No one but a member of the 54th should carry the colors,” Carney responded.
To the cheers of comrades, Carney safely reached the Union lines. Upon arriving, Carney exclaimed, “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!” He then collapsed.
The soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
Out of the 600 members of the 54th who began the attack, 273 were either killed, wounded, or missing. Every member of the regiment showed incredible courage under challenging circumstances. The 54th’s commander, Robert Shaw, was killed.
Multiple Union forces participated in the attack on Fort Wagner. In total, 1,515 Union soldiers were casualties compared to 174 Confederates. While the attack failed, news of the heroism shown by the 54th Massachusetts soon spread throughout the country. Their actions in combat spurred thousands of other black men to sign up to fight for the Union cause. By the war’s end, a little under 180,000 black soldiers became part of the Union Army, while another 19,000 served in the Navy. President Abraham Lincoln was among those who acknowledged the important role black soldiers contributed to the final victory.
As for William Carney, he survived the battle after almost bleeding to death and was promoted to sergeant for his conduct. About a year after the Battle of Fort Wagner, Carney was discharged due to the lingering injuries he sustained during it. He went on to get married and have a child. He worked first for the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts, before spending thirty-two years working for the Postal Service. He died in 1908.
As was common during the early years of the awarding of the Medal of Honor, it would be many years later before William Carney received the award. On May 23, 1900, Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. His response to receiving the award was simple – “I only did my duty.”
Although other black soldiers received the Medal of Honor before Carney, because his heroic actions took place first, William Carney is considered the first black recipient of the Medal of Honor. Eighty-eight brave African-Americans have followed in his footsteps.
Born into slavery and paid three dollars a month less than white soldiers, William Carney had every reason to refuse to fight for a country that was struggling to ensure the equality of everyone. Instead, he chose to serve the Union and was willing to give his life to ensure the American flag never touched the ground. This is despite multiple wounds and intense combat swirling around him.
It can never be lost on present-day Americans how much prior generations sacrificed to ensure America would be an even better country. Men like William Carney, all those who served in the 54th Massachusetts, and countless others before and after them. This includes men and women of every race, color, and creed. For defending the liberty of all of us, we are eternally grateful.
Note: The United States Armed Forces were desegregated by President Harry Truman in 1948.
Note: Although not a specific character in the 1989 movie Glory (Rated R), elements of William Carney’s story were incorporated into the script.