Socyberty » 1863

What’s So Important About The Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:45:52 +0000

The Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. Now, when you just read those words, most of you probably didn’t see anything special in them. Just one Infantry among many. Maybe a few of you have heard of that particular one before, but it doesn’t mean much to you, does it?

It should. It may seem that this particular regiment was any more special than any other regiment. Sure the men making up it were black, but you’re thinking there’s not anything special about that, right? Today many soldiers are black. It was a big deal back then though. The Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry was one the first official black units in the United States Army. This regiment rebelled against normality and dared to do and be something that many were opposed to. Even though their wages were below the wages of white men at the same level until 1864, they still fought. Even though they couldn’t even hold the rank of officer at first, they kept fighting for their country. Everything was against them, but they still loved their country enough to keep fighting. They paved a way that many other would follow, and did something unusual until eventually it became usually. In the war, they were black pioneers, and any black man or woman in the army today should be thankful for the bravery they had. They had the bravery to try.

In 1863 John A. Andrew authorized the regiment. Most of the men that made up the unit were free blacks from Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Among their ranks were the sons of the famous Frederick Douglass. Most of them were recruited by white abolitionists, and a white man was placed over them , Robert Gould Shaw.

The first event that gave this regiment fame was when they raided the town of Darien in Georgia. While the raiding of Darien may have been the first event that gave attention to them, their first real action was on James Island in South Carolina, where they stopped an attack from the Confederates. However, the battle the 54th is most recognized for is their assault on Fort Wagner on July 18th, 1863. 116 of their men were killed, along with Shaw; 156 were wounded as well. The Union forces were not able to take hold of the Fort, but the 54th was recognized for its bravery. Sergeant William H Carney received the Medal of Honor for his courage during the battle and was the first African American to do so. The regiment kept fighting until 1865. These men, black men, fought with the same courage as any other man on the battle field then, and maybe with more bravery; because they needed it.

The Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. These words probably mean a lot more to you now. Those brave soldiers were the ones who opened up the opportunities for black men for many generations after them. Whether or not future black men had the chance to fight depended on the way them. These men are some of the courageous men we should be looking up to. These are the brave. These men were the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry.

The Amazing Gettysburg Address

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:04:46 +0000

On a grim November morning, the citizens of Gettysburg along with all the prominent men and women of political and influential families and offices gathered to mark the turning point of the civil war and to give respect to the men and women of the Union armed who gave their lives. Thus on November 19th 1863, over 15,000 men and women turned up for the dedication of the Solider’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania.

The main organizer of the event, David Wills and his committee set the main speaker as Edward Everett – a prominent statesmen, community leader and the greatest orator of his time. The committee also invited numerous other guests including around 6 other Union state Governors and various other figures. Only just 17 days before the ceremony did the President of the United States get this invitation to participate in the dedication of a national memorial – an insult to the President and an indicator of his public opinion during that time. In his invitation, David Wills invites the President by saying “It is the desire that, after the Oration, you, as Chief Executive of the Nation, formally set apart these grounds to their Sacred use by a few appropriate remarks.” Thus, President Lincoln – the infamous President who started the war was invited to speak at the ceremony.

Edward Everett spoke throughout the better part of the day for over 2 hours while the President waited for his chance. Almost as an after thought, he was given the chance to speak and what he said shook the foundations of our nation. Below is President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:

“Four Score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”

“But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead.”

This speech of less than 2 minutes was scolded and frowned upon by his peers. Based on the standards of Lincoln’s day, a proper speech is to last a few hours and the President did not even cut it close. However, today Lincoln’s speech is the most memorized and discussed upon speech and is the most famous of all historical presidential speeches. He reiterated the ideals of freedom, liberty and democracy found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the very reason why the war must be fought against the greater axis of evil of his day. Even though the people hated President Lincoln for splitting the “union” and starting the war, he is today one of the most loved and respected Presidents of all time – and a Republican.

The Gettysburg Address

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:14:14 +0000

The Gettysburg Address is one of the most lyrical speeches ever given in the noblest form of writing. The great author and spokesman of this speech was our very own Abraham Lincoln. On November 19, 1863 Abraham gave this noble speech to commemorate those who had fallen during the Civil War at the Battle of Gettysburg. The appropriate place where this great speech was given was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, at the presentation for the memory of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The speech has often been called an American myth. The most famous myth being that our president at the time, Abraham Lincoln actually wrote that speech on the back of an envelope. The truth side to this story is that Abraham Lincoln actually wrote two drafts of this speech and at the time of speaking, he winged it and modified it while giving his speech. The speech he gave goes as follows:

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

“But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate-we cannot consecrate-we cannot hallow-this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

This brief speech basically tells the world that we as great nation, created for liberty is being tested. It states that this great battle ground is now being dedicated as a resting place for those who served in this great battle and perished. Those who died in devotion to their country and that they have not died in vain. Basically, little note will this memorial become, and that for those men who kept on going helped that much to the demonstration that America is a nation that will long live.

Source: