Juneteenth: 5 Civil War battles that black Union soldiers played a key role

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Fort Wagner – July 18, 1863

An 1890 depiction of the 1863 battle of Fort Wagner, in which the 54th Massachusetts attacked a Confederate stronghold in South Carolina during the American Civil War. | Public Domain

Famously depicted in the Oscar-winning 1989 movie “Glory,” the assault on Fort Wagner by the 54th Massachusetts was a crucial turning point for the involvement of blacks in the Civil War.

Also called Battery Wagner, the Confederate stronghold was attacked by the Union, with the 54th Massachusetts leading the charge under white abolitionist Col. Robert Gould Shaw, who was killed in the battle.

The Confederate garrison successfully held against the attack, with the black regiment suffering over 40% casualties as a result. Other attacks on the position also failed, with the Confederates later abandoning the fortress due to nearly two months of siege and bombardment.

“Though clearly a miliary defeat, the 54th Regiment's heroic assault on Battery Wagner proved both a powerful political and symbolic victory. Through their actions, the 54th helped convince a skeptical public and military that black men could and would fight bravely,” the National Park Service noted.

“The heroic efforts of the 54th Regiment inspired the nation to begin mass recruitment and mobilization of black soldiers. The 54th paved the way for more than 180,000 black men joining the United States forces, which ultimately helped turn the tide of the war.”